It's a Secret
by Zollercoaster
Summary: We all know Youko Kurama was a thief, but how did he end up that way? As a young boy he fled from slavery and was found by a mysterious bat demon, who turned him from a slave into a cold blooded thief. This is their story.
1. Cold

This is my first Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic, so please review and tell me what you think.

It's a Secret: Chapter 1

He ran. It was just to much, he couldn't handle it any longer. He tired quickly with the weight on his back. The weight of the possessions he had gained, that he saw as rightfully his. After all, it was only minimal compensation for what he had been forced to endure. Tears threatened to overwhelm him. No! He couldn't give in to despair. He forced a cruel smirk to come to his lips. From now on, life would be his to do with as he pleased. But he needed to rest first, he had been running all night. Those memories were still so fresh in his mind.

**Flashback**

"Wake up fox!" A foot came out of nowhere and struck him hard in the ribs. He toppled over as his eyes fluttered open. "You slept late again you worthless excuse for a Youko! Now get up and get to work."

The messy young boy rose shakily to his feet. He had long silver hair that looked much shorter than it was due to horrible tangles. His eyes were a beautiful shade of gold that showed a boy who had been robbed of his innocence a long time ago. He had to furry silver ears at the top of his head, and a bushy, but very sad looking tail. Though tall, he was a mere slip of a boy. He wore what resembled a magenta colored leather skirt. It was really an old piece of demon hide that he had found by chance in the forest that surrounded them. He shuddered when he pondered where it had come from. It was, however, the only piece of clothing he owned.

He had come to this small village as a small boy after his parents had been slain by soldiers. He had been taken in, but was treated like a slave. The man whom he served was the village elder, Katashi. He beat the Kitsune constantly and fed him only enough to keep him able to work. He was forced to preform a number of dangerous tasks that nobody else would do. At the moment, he was digging a deep hole that was intended to become a well, as the other one was drying out. He shivered as he attempted to dig through the ice hardened earth.

He was working when he felt a small hand rest on his shoulder. He whirled to find a young girl standing behind him. She had silver hair that reached just beyond her shoulders, white ears and a tail and sweet yellow colored eyes. She was about seven years old, when he was the demon equivalent of 15 years old. But despite that she was the only one who was kind to him, and the only person he felt he could call friend.

"Hello Kasumi." he greeted her quietly. "What brings you here?" He rarely spoke, and most of the times he did were to her. She was Katashi's daughter in name only.

She smiled shyly and held up a basket. "I was hoping you would eat lunch with me Youko." she answered, her look pleading. He didn't have a name, so she called him Youko. "Daddy is out for a while, so he won't see you." He hesitated then nodded his agreement.

They sat on a stump that they brushed the snow off of. They ate in silence, Youko savoring every bite. "I'm worried Youko." she said softly. "Daddy's going to do something bad." she stopped and looked up at him before going on. "I think you're in danger. I...I heard him talking to some strange demons. He's going to sell you to them Youko!"

He gasped a little at this. "Kasumi, are you sure about this?" she nodded. Youko sat back quietly, but his eyes showed the panic he was feeling. _I can't believe this. No, I haven't been treated very well, but this is home for me. I have to get out of here! But where will I go?_ Kasumi crept silently away.

Youko went back to work, panicked thoughts racing through his head. He looked toward the treasure hold at the center of the village. It was a round building that kept the treasures they possessed safely lacked away. That's when he decided, he needed to get his hands on them when he left.

His thoughts were cut short when a couple of the villagers spotted him gazing at the hold. "Keep your eyes on your work, you unworthy slave!" one of them shouted at him. Before proceeding to beat him and shove him into the well he was digging. They pulled out the makeshift ladder. "Lets see you get out of there Youko." one of them laughed before leaving after the others.

_He was more helpful than he intended to be. Now I can stay down here until nightfall._ Youko curled up and whimpered in pain, as he planned his escape.

As soon as night fell, he leapt out of the hole with a grace that nobody had ever seen in him. He crept silently towards the hold. It was surprisingly easy to get in. As he grabbed treasures that looked valuable and stuffed them in a sack, he couldn't help but feel a thrilling excitement as he nabbed the prettiest treasures he could find. Soon he had finished his thievery and took of into the forest.

**End Flashback**

He collapsed on the ground, his sack of treasures by his side. This secluded clearing was the best he could do for shelter. His eyes started drooping. "Cold boy?" a mysterious voice inquired.

Youko leapt up, his eyes frantically searched for the source of the voice. They widened slightly as a chimera (bat demon) stepped out of the shadows and looked him over. The man before him was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

The chimera had moved behind him, and captured Youko's arms above his head before he could blink. He blushed when he felt the stranger's body press against his. "You _are_ cold." he said. Then suddenly Youko was on the frozen ground with the stranger straddling his hips. His blush deepened when he found that the area between his legs was significantly larger than usual.

One hand holding Youko's bound, the other holding the back of his head, the chimera looked into his eyes. "Let me keep you warm, foxy boy." With that the chimera's body lowered over his, and warm lips covered his own. Youko tried to resist at first, but he soon opened his mouth under the chimera's persistent tongue.


	2. New Identity

Thanks for reviewing. I welcome all suggestions and will try to use them in my story. I think I might be upping the rating soon.

**Kitsune Bandit**: Thank you very much for being my first reviewer.

**Moving Shadow: **Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it.

It's a Secret: Chapter 2

Sunlight warmed his face. His eyes blinked open. As last night's memories came back to him, he looked around quickly. It was late in the afternoon. He gasped when he realized his bag of treasures was gone. He felt betrayal and anger as he growled loudly into the crisp forest air. Suddenly he felt long arms wrap around him, as he was lifted bridal style off the ground. His head swung to reveal the face of the chimera from last night.

The strange man looked at his expression and made a mocking, but gentle face. "What? Do I really seem like the type to screw you and leave?" His bluntness made Youko blush and look away quickly. The man laughed. "No need to be embarrassed. You have every right to be suspicious." Youko realized then that he was being carried along with his treasures and his suspicious look returned.

"You can't stand up right now, let alone carry around a large bag of trinkets." Youko hesitated before nodding and relaxing into the chimera's arms. "So do you have a name, foxy boy?" he asked. Youko bit his lip nervously before replying, "I'm called Youko."

The man smiled "My name is Kuronue. No offense but Youko's not much of a name." He suddenly jumped off the ground, his bat wings flapping as he lifted into the air. _No, fluttering is the closest I can come to describing his grace. _Youko tightened his grip around Kuronue's neck and buried his face in the chimera's shirt. "Is Youko your whole name?" he asked.

Youko nodded. "I'm just a slave, they never gave me a name. A girl I knew called me Youko." Kuronue didn't respond right away, though his arms tightened their grip. He landed by a stream in the forest and set Youko down against a frozen tree. He put one arm around the boy and their noses very close together. "How close were you to this girl?" Kuronue asked sternly.

Youko's ear twitched. "She was a sweet kid, like a younger sister to me. My only family. Why?" Kuronue's lips pressed against his and they shared a tender, passionate kiss that left them both breathless when they finally broke.

"I was just making sure you weren't the type to cheat on a girl with whom you shared a relationship." He kissed Youko again, for a shorter time. "I have an offer to make, so hear me out before you decide. I'm a thief, I steal and I murder. It's tricky sometimes, to pull off robberies by myself. I'm offering to make you my apprentice. I'll teach you to steal and defend yourself."

He paused to check Youko's face. "There are two conditions though. One is that you obey my every order without question, and I mean _every_ order. The other is that you can't just leave when your training's done, you must remain by my side until I permit you to leave. Whether or not you join me is your decision."

Youko thought about it. _If I say no, I might be in danger. He seems nice enough, but he said it himself, he's a murderer. I have nowhere else to go anyway. Besides, that black hair, those beautiful wings, that creamy skin, he's perfect. Who am I who gets the right to decide something like this._ "I agree." he said.

Kuronue grinned. "Excellent. Now, to seal it with a kiss." Youko found himself in another lip lock with the bat. Then he felt a hand start stroking his chest, and another working to untie the hide from around his waist. Youko placed a hand on Kuronue's chest and pushed him away. Kuronue made his mocking face. "Come on foxy boy, it's not like I didn't screw you already. Besides, I'm not giving you a choice, _apprentice_." Youko realized then, that he had put himself in a dangerous situation by agreeing to Kuronue's terms.

They were walking again that night when Kuronue stopped and turned to Youko. "I've been thinking, and Youko isn't much of a name." _Didn't he already say that?_ Youko thought. "You need a better name. I think Kurama would do nicely. Yes, your new name is Youko Kurama." He grinned and put an arm around Youko's shoulders. "Don't worry," he whispered huskily is the fox's ear, "you'll always be foxy boy to me."

He led the newly named fox into a clearing. Stretched out before him was a small camp. There were demons walking around, who came over immediately when they saw them. Kuronue gestured to the camp. "Welcome to my band of thieves."

Well that's all for now. If anyone has any advice on the rating, please let me know. Also I'll update when I get reviews for this chapter.


	3. Life Changes

Thanks for your reviews everyone! If anyone has suggestions for the story, please let me know.

Disturbed66-rose: Your wish has been granted.

Youkai Maiden: I'm flattered. Enjoy the story.

It's a Secret: Chapter 3

Kuronue gestured to the camp. "Welcome to my band of thieves."

Youko gasped, his mouth hanging open slightly. _I didn't realize that he was the leader of a group. I don't like groups, they tend to hurt me. Great, I escape slavery only to be tricked into an agreement almost as bad._ Youko moved behind Kuronue and gripped his shirt.

"Now now, they won't hurt you. This is Nori and his sister Shizuka." Kuronue gestured to two demons in the front of the group. There were about 12 demons in all. Nori had a very commanding presence, he was a blue skinned creature with sea green eyes, as well a green bunch of hair on his otherwise bald head. His ears were more like fins and he had a long tail with a triangle on the end. At about 5 feet 7 inches, he was about 4 inches taller than Shizuka.

Shizuka was clearly the quiet type. Like her brother she had blue skin and fin ears. She was short, but full grown. Youko noted her clearly defined curves and her long, pale orange hair. Her eyes were the same shade as her hair. Her tail was shorter than Nori's. They both had small horns on their foreheads and black sea serpents in a spiral shape on their right cheeks.

"Everybody, this is my new apprentice, Youko Kurama. He's a little shy, but we can fix that." The thieves all cheered at that. He grinned mischievously, "In a couple days we'll go find some new treasures for our collection. And then we'll go find a town and have some fun!" They all cheered again.

Kuronue turned to Nori and Shizuka. "You two go get Youko some clothes and a meal." he commanded. He looked at Youko. "You get some rest today, we'll begin your training tomorrow. Now go with these two."

Quivering, Youko released Kuronue and followed the two demons into the camp. Cries of "Welcome back boss." and "Now things will get more exciting around here." could be heard as the remaining demons swarmed their leader.

The two demons led Youko to a cave. "You need a bath first. Lord Kuro likes his thieves looking pretty." Nori told him. "Shizuka will find you some clothes while we get you clean." He then grabbed the frightened fox by the wrist and dragged him into the cave. In the cave their was a pool of water. He yanked the hide off Youko and shoved him into the freezing water. Nomi stripped and got in next to him.

He began scrubbing the fox roughly as dirt came off him, and his skin lightened significantly. Youko couldn't help whimpering when the demon brushed an arm over his ribs. "What's wrong?" the man inquired. Without giving Youko a chance to respond, he started examining his chest. Nori whistled when he saw the problem. "You have a couple broken ribs kid." The demon looked him over, "Wherever you're from, you're pretty beat up." When Youko tensed, Nori reassured him. "Don't worry kid, in this band, your past is just that, your past. Nobody will ever ask you to tell them about it."

He then dunked Youko's head under the water, and began scrubbing his hair. A while later they emerged from the cave, Youko wet and shivering. Nori led him into a tent where Shizuka waited. The fact that he was naked didn't bother him, since Youko hadn't learned about modesty as a slave. They sat him on a straw mat and started brushing his hair. "So Youko," Shizuka asked. "why did you decide to become lord Kuro's apprentice?"

He looked down and answered softly. "I had nowhere else to go." The siblings shared a look above Youko's head. They then proceeded to wrap bandage around his ribs. They gave him a pair of loose sky blue pants to wear. To Youko they itched horribly, as he had never worn pants before.

"Sorry about the bandages kid. But that's the best we can do for now." Nori said. Then they helped him put on a Blue tunic with a yellow border that left his shoulders bare. He staggered under the sudden weight. The siblings grinned. "That's lord Kuro's weighted tunic. It helps to increase your muscle strength when you train. It also protects you a bit." He looked at his sister, "Hey Shizuka, go tell Lord Kuro that Youko's ready now." She left without a word.

"Now lets get you some food kid." Nori said. He got Youko a tray of food. Before Nori could blink, the fruit and bread had vanished into Youko's tunic. Youko hesitated then devoured the meat ravenously.

"You seem hungry." Kuronue's voice came from the doorway. He grinned when Youko looked at him. "Didn't I fill you up enough last night?" Kuroue teased him. Youko decided to test his limits and flirt back. He let a small smile play across his lips and he gazed at the floor again. Then he shook his head no and looked up mischievously at Kuronue.

Kuronue raised an eyebrow at the Kitsune's change in behavior. "Oh, m'lord, Youko has a couple broken ribs that are bothering him." Nori told the bat. "We bandaged them but it won't really help much."

Kuronue walked over and squatted down in front of the fox. Youko looked up into the chimera's eyes, they were serious. "Did I do it?" he questioned. The two siblings burst out laughing when he spoke. Youko himself had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He managed to shake his head. Kuronue glared at the two that couldn't stop laughing. "Ignore the water imps. Are you sure?" Youko nodded again. "Okay, we'll have Sho look at you later."

Seeing Youko's looked he explained. He's a Kitsune too. He knows a lot about herbs and such." He pulled Youko up. "For now I'll show you around the place." He glared at Nori, who was still laughing, though Shizuka had stopped. "Shut up already." he said.

"Sorry boss," he said. "but that was just too funny. 'Did I do it?'" he mimicked, then cracked up all over again. Kuronue just mumbled something about stupid imps and led Youko away. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all. _The fox thought, feeling a small glimmer of hope fill him for the first time.

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That's the end of this chapter. What will happen to Youko now? Once I get 2 more reviews, you'll find out.


	4. Testing Limits

Okay, time for another chapter of Youko's life! My gratitude to all those who reviewed. In this chapter we find our favorite fox adjusting to life as a thief's apprentice.

**Kitsune Bandit: **Thanks for the advice and keeping up with my story. Thanks for adding me to your favorites.

**Shiorifoxiesmom: **Glad you like it. It's an honor.

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It's a Secret: chapter 4

Over the next few weeks Youko trained rigorously. Nori taught him about how to tell the value of treasures, he found that his most of his treasure from the village wasn't worth much. Shizuka trained him in the arts of stealth and lock picking. A cat demon named Takeshi taught him fighting. Sho had fixed up his ribs, and he was now learning plant manipulation from the golden-brown kitsune. Along with that, Kuronue taught him various other skills, including how to disguise himself and told him about old legends. Though Kuro gave him a lot of freedom, one thing he insisted on was that the fox join him in bed nightly.

Youko was in a small tent he had been given, practicing with his plants. Leaves covered the walls of his tent, and he had concealed his treasures, along with various other things he had stolen (mostly food) in them. Kuronue and his other thieves were away on a raid, as of yet, Youko hadn't been allowed to accompany them. He was beginning to open up to the thieves, and a personality he didn't know he had had begun to emerge.

He hoarded items that he thought he might need, or that he just wanted. He found that he was drawn to everything shiny that he saw. Anybody who got near him while he was eating would be scared away by his cold eyes. He also found that he cared about cleanliness and his appearance. His beauty was one of his top priorities. Sho told him that most kitsune's were vain, but he was over the top. There was one other thing about him he had discovered, he couldn't care less about killing.

He did it without remorse and without mercy. He struck down _any_ demon who got close to discovering their camp. He could almost say he enjoyed it. Some of the thieves seemed incredibly foolish to him. Youko found himself looking down on them. The only people he really respected were his teachers, those who he could learn from. In Youko's view, he should take what he wanted, and strike down those in his way.

The next morning, the thieves returned with their loot. Kuronue had gone off somewhere with Sho, so it looked like Youko didn't have any plant training to look forward to. He joined the others at around a fire and ate his fill of the food. He watched them look over the loot they had brought back with them. That was when he noticed one of the men, an older fire demon named Susumu, staring at him with obvious lust in his eyes. _Maybe I can use this to my advantage. _Youko thought.

He approached the demon that evening. "What were you staring at this morning?" he whispered seductively from behind him. Susumu jumped back in surprise, turning to face the fox. "So, why were you looking at me like that?"

Instead of answering, he licked his lips, then reached over and pulled Youko into his lap. Youko could feel his desire pressing against him, and it took effort not to shudder in disgust at the demon's touch. "Why don't you come to my tent tonight and find out." he said, in a not very subtle way. He then proceeded to start licking and nibbling at the fox's neck. Youko exposed his neck more and pretended to moan in pleasure. Taking that as acceptance, Susumu tightened his grip on Youko and wrapped his legs around the fox's waist. Youko shuddered this time. The demon took it the wrong way.

"If you want it that bad, we can always go to my tent now." He stroked the Kitsune's inner thigh, reaching between his legs. Youko quickly bit down hard on Susumu's ear, afraid that he'd go to far before Youko got him to the tent. "Alright." he grumbled. The fire demon picked Youko up, his hands wandering over the fox's body as he brought him to the tent.

There the fire demon stripped Youko and immediately pressed his lips down on his. Then he took what he wanted. Around two in the morning, they both lay there panting. "Time for you to go." Susumu told him. "We wouldn't want the boss to find out about this." He practically forced the boy out of the tent. Youko should have felt outraged, and he probably would have if this hadn't been what he intended.

Kuronue and Sho came back the next day. Youko was in his tent when he felt the familiar arms circle his neck. "Welcome back master Kuro." Youko greeted cheerfully. He felt Kuronue's arms slide slowly off him and heard soft footsteps. "Am I that obvious?" Kuronue pouted.

Youko smiled, in way he had found master Kuro to be like a child. It made you forget that he was a murderer with a really bad temper. "Of course you are master." Youko teased. "I can predict everything you do." He turned to face Kuro, who was leaning against the plants on the tent.

"Oh?" the chimera said. His eyes met Youko's, shining with amusement. "I had a complaint from a certain fire demon about you. He says that you seduced him, and that when he woke up the next morning, you, and all of his treasures were gone. Was that predictable?" Youko just looked away guiltily and didn't answer. "I don't think what he said was entirely true, but his jewels were indeed missing."

"It's his own damn fault for leaving them out like that." Youko mumbled under his breath. Kuronue heard him. He laughed loudly. "You can do whatever you want with your body, but just remember you'll always be mine, foxy boy." He walked towards the exit. "You can keep what you took, but in the future, don't steal from my thieves." Youko breathed a sigh of relief, then headed after Kuronue out of the tent.

Later that day, Kuro and Sho sat talking. "He's doing quite well. You have good taste m'lord, he'll make a good thief." Sho complimented. Kuronue grinned. "Don't I though? Well, I must be going. I have a previous engagement with our little fox." He winked and strode off into the camp.

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Well, that's that. More changes in Youko's personality to come, next time on **It's a Secret.** (So don't forget to review.)


	5. Dangerous love

You're reviews make me feel so loved. (Tears of joy). Anyway, this chapter finds us with a 16 year old Youko. What surprises await the fox, find out now!

**Harpy Blackhawk: **Just showing Kuro's personality more & for a transition to this chapter.

**Shiorifoxiesmom:** Well, here's a lot of thief and no more slave.

**Fruit is NOT a Dessert: **Thanks for all the reviews. And my style is to do something nobody else has. So I guess that is weird.

**BlackroseVixen05:** I appreciate the review, please keep reading. I'll try to update again soon.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 5

A year had passed, and Youko had become one of the most powerful among the thieves. He had surpassed his teachers in most everything, well except Kuronue. He was now permanently cold towards everybody. That cruel smirk he had forced onto his face that fateful day when he ran from captivity now had a permanent home on his face. The only person he wasn't cold towards was Kuronue, who treated him exactly the same as he had the day they met.

His appearance had changed as well, that scrawny slave was gone. He had grown even taller over the past year, and his spirit energy gave his skin a slight, radiant glow. His hair and tail fur had grown as well. His body was now well muscled, but though his shoulders had broadened some, he still looked feminine.

He was bathing when Takeshi approached him. "Hurry up Youko, it's about time to leave." he told the fox. At Youko's inquiring look, he continued. "Lord Kuronue told us that it was about time you came on a raid with us. _Didn't predict that. Course I'll never tell Kuro he surprised me. Well, I guess it's time for me to earn my keep around here. _Youko got up and dressed himself. Then he walked off to join the others.

"Surprised fox?" Kuronue asked when Youko came over. "No" Youko lied. He squatted down next to the others and looked at the map on the ground. It looked like there was a big building on a high cliff. Security included guards, spotlights, booby traps, and hidden alarms. Along with that were locks and safes to crack. The building was surrounded by a forest.

"We'll split into three groups. I'll lead one group and we'll get past security, and disable it from the inside. Sho and Takeshi, you lead our fastest men and use the forest and loud noise to attract as many of the guards as you can. Signal us if there's danger. Nori and Shizuka, take the third group and use ranged weapons to take out as many outer guards as possible, then in 10 minutes enter and get to the treasure. Got that?" The chimera's eyes met Youko's/ Kuronue's plan seemed good enough to Youko, he nodded.

"What are we going after this time boss?" one demon asked. Nori answered. "There are quite a few different treasures. Weapons, jewels, and other artifacts mostly. We don't have detailed descriptions, but those idiots put it all in the same room." A few of the bandits chuckled at this.

"Time to go." Kuronue said. "Oh, and Youko, you're in my group. Can you handle it" He grinned. "_Predictable_." Youko taunted under his breath so only Kuro could hear him. Kuronue frowned "I hope not, otherwise they'll know we're coming to rob them blind." _He's so cute when he says stupid things. I wonder if he even realizes that it's really funny when he says it like that. Time to flirt._

Youko just pretended to pout. "You know that I only know you so well because I'm your most prized possession. You love me so much." He winked. "And you're not half bad yourself." Kuronue shook a fist at him in mock anger, and walked off. Youko noticed that the bat's hips swayed a little extra for his fox.

Their group crept through the shadows and, moving quickly, managed to get past the spotlights. They saw two guards fall silently off the wall, their lives ended by Shizuka's arrows. The walls of the castle were surprisingly easy to climb. Kuronue flew. At the top of the wall, they lifted up a window and climbed down on to the top floor. They moved stealthily towards the center of the building, disarming various traps as they went. One trap was a really tricky one. When they stepped on a certain tile, deadly arrows shot out from both sides of the wall. A couple of the thieves were hurt.

The group backed up, then Youko gathered his courage and ran out into the hall. As he ran, the arrows all miraculously missed him. He ran back to the thieves, no arrows fired this time. They all stared at him, stunned. Even Kuro was a little wide eyed. He quickly recovered his composure and placed a hand on Youko's head, petting him like a cat. Youko didn't react, just started back down the hall. The others followed close behind.

A few floors down they found a room that controlled the security. They deactivated it. Then they returned the way they came, and left back towards the camp. Youko was feeling very proud of himself as their group ran swiftly back through the woods. He decided not to show it to the others, and maintained his cold, superior attitude. _That will make my brilliant maneuver seem even more magnificent. Not to mention prove to Kuro that I am not a child. Not just a pet for his amusement. _Youko was quite fond of his master, and wanted to prove that he could be a great thief. He wanted to win his master's respect, and even more, his love.

They all gathered around the fire and prepared a feast. Soon after, the triumphant bandits returned with armfuls of treasure. All sorts of things were placed before Kuronue.

He selected various jewels, a ruby dagger, a length of leather(demon-hide), and a long string of rare shells for himself. News of Youko's rescue spread among the thieves. Kuronue turned to them, "To celebrate my young apprentice's impressive actions on his first raid I shall allow him to select three treasures now.

Thieves shouted suggestions as Youko's eyes scanned the treasure. He reached down and picked out his rewards. He took a small statue of a youko maiden holding a black rose, it was valuable and he recognized it from a book of rare items. Then he lifted a short rod of rowen wood, a variety of useful seeds stuck in notches on the rod. And finally he took an old book that was almost invisible, it was the same color as the muddy earth around it. He knew not what was written within, but instinct told him to take it. Everyone seemed to be relieved he didn't go after some of the finer items.

The night went on and everybody cheered and congratulated the fox as they got drunk and claimed their portion of the loot. Kurama's eyes stayed on Kuro as he mingled with his underlings. He sipped the same drink for hours. Later, most of the thieves had passed out. Kuronue walked towards the forest before turning to Youko and gesturing for him to follow. Then he vanished into the shadows. Youko ran after him eagerly.

A ways into the forest, Kuro stopped and turned to his apprentice, anger shining in his eyes. He put an arm on either side of the kitsune's head and backed him up against a tree. "You will never, **never**, do that again! Understand?" Kuronue was shaking with fury. "Never put yourself in that kind of danger again. Do you know what you made me feel when you did that? I never would have forgiven you if you died! I order you to never do that again. Got it?" Youko nodded slowly. _He's mad at me, I made him angry. I wanted to prove that I wasn't just a child, and he is angry with me. I made him worry. Wait! He was worried about me. That means he cares. _A warm feeling filled his chest. _He cares! _

"Sorry." Youko muttered. Kuronue's lips crushed down of his, and he passionately kissed the Youko. For the first time, Kurama kissed back, and with the same amount of passion, his tongue battling with the bat's. Kuronue blinked in surprise when they broke for air, only to feel soft fingers grip his thick black hair. Youko pulled his master into another fiery kiss. _It seems like things will finally be going my way._

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Well, what did you think. This one took me a while, I kept getting stuck. Anyway, I look forward to more reviews. How does Youko do among the ranks of thieves?Find out next chapter.


	6. Love and Changes

Sorry it's been so long, I had my cousin over and didn't have a chance to update. I probably won't update as fast because school is starting soon. In this chapter, a very long time has passed and Youko is fully grown. It focuses on his relationship with Kuronue.

**Shiorifoxiesmom:** Not as soon as I had hoped, but here you are.

**BlackRoseVixen05:** I aim to please.

**Kitsune Bandit:** Glad your enjoying it, it should get more interesting from here.

Disclaimer: For those of you who don't know, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 6

Under the cover of night they swiftly returned to one of their many homes. They had just stolen a statue of a kitsune male holding a wooden staff above his head, it was a piece Youko had wanted. It was a brother to the statue he got on his first heist. Kuronue had tracked it down for him. It had been nearly 200 years since he had first met Kuronue and since then they had become very close.

They were away from the band, enjoying a little alone time. The bandits were used to their frequent absences. Being wealthy thieves, they had many safe houses all over the place. This one was in a forest.

Kuronue tackled the fox and began to play wrestle with him. Youko set down the statue and wrestled with him, they tumbled all over the place. After a while Kuronue sat victoriously atop Youko's exhausted form. "I win." he gloated. "And as the victor, I get to name my prize." He pretended to ponder over it, though he obviously had this planned.

Youko decided to play along "Alright, what do you choose." He had stopped panting a while ago. "You can have a prize even though I let you win."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kuronue fake gasped. Youko just grinned. "I think you're lying, but I'll let you. As for my prize, I want you foxy boy." He pulled Youko's white shirt over his head. (Youko now looks like he does in the show.)

"Predictable bat." Youko muttered just loud enough for Kuronue to hear him. Kuronue gave him a pout that clearly meant _Am not! _"Oh don't deny it, you haven't changed a bit since I met you. I think you've been the way you are now since you were born."

"I'm not the same as I used to be, I have a mate now my love. You on the other hand are completely different from how you used to be. You're a cold blooded murderer to others, and you're a greedy little kit to me." Kuronue kissed him, hard and fast. "You'll always be my little foxy boy."

"I'm insulted!" Youko exclaimed. "Oh shut up and kiss me." Kuronue replied, cutting off the Kitsune's complaints.

They had been mates for about a hundred years now, but only a few weeks ago did they decide to have intimate relationships with only each other. Both Youko and Kuronue were known to have affairs with almost every person they liked or wanted something from, gender or species didn't matter. When Youko stole something he made sure they knew who robbed them. He left a note in the place of the treasure, Kuronue preferred to just get what he came for. As a result, Kuronue's band was known as Youko's and very few people knew of Kuronue. Youko had collected every type of treasure he could, and he had numerous things all over demon world. These differences were probably what brought them together.

**Flashback**

Youko and Kuronue were together that night. As usual they were in Kuronue's tent. Youko cried out in pleasure "Kuro, take me I'm yours!" Kuronue got a serious look on his face. "Do you mean that?" he asked. "Of course love, so do it already." he panted in reply.

"No, I mean, would it be okay if I marked you?" Kuronue responded cautiously. He still had strong feelings for his fox after all this time, and wanted to be with him forever. He knew the fox would obey him due to their agreement and his strange sense of honor. What he wanted though, was for both sides to want it.

"I'm not really sure what that means Kuro." Youko replied, bringing Kuronue out of his daze. "Why would you want to mark me?"

Kuronue looked down at his apprentice. "It would make us mates. Usually that means we could only be intimate with each other, but I don't think either of us would like that. So for us it would mean that in the end, we belong together. As for why, I love you fox, and I want you to stay by my side."

Youko's eyes had grown wide. "If that's the case, if you truly confess your emotions to me, then I feel the same. I want to be with you forever. Go ahead, I'm yours." Without any hesitation, the bat gave Youko what he wanted, and bit down into Youko, marking him for all time. Later that night Youko had bitten back.

**End Flashback**

They had only gotten closer since then, and Youko had moved from apprentice to second in command. He even ranked higher than his old teachers.

"We should get back soon Kuro." Youko told him the next morning, as he obsessively brushed his silver hair. Kuronue nodded. He knew Youko just wanted to know what he would steal next. And his kitsune hadn't killed anyone in a long while.

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Okay, that's it for now. Next chapter will be more about stealing and show off some of Youko's skills. I'm not sure when I'll update. I'll try to hurry, but no promises. Reviews will encourage me. Till next time, this is Red Kitsune Flames signing off.


	7. Spells and Souls part 1

Hey there, I'm back and with another chapter. It's time to raid a nearby castle with the help of a few choice thieves. I am so happy I got your reviews so quickly. There will be more action in this chapter, like chapter 5 but more fighting.

**BlackRoseVixen05: **I agree, don't they make the cutest couple. Youko's skills, as well as Kuro's should be more clear after this chapter.

**Shiorifoxiesmom: **I'm trying to make it like this is his real past, and it just seemed right to have them mated.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 7

After their return to the camp, Kuronue announced he was taking Youko, Nori, Shizuka, Sho, Yomi, and Akiko on a heist. Yomi was a wind demon who was very skilled. He had joined 12 years ago. Akiko was Sho's daughter. While she wasn't much of a fighter, she did know how to steal and cast illusions that were very useful, and she was just a kid. She had long orange hair, a deeper shade than Shizuka's, and pale skin. Her eyes were gold like Youko's, she was the only being he had ever seen with his eye color, it intrigued him. As a result Youko had taken her and Yomi on as apprentices. He was starting to regret including Yomi.

They were going to raid a castle ruled by a wealthy tiger demon. He was well known for his enormous size and his cruel laws. Kuronue told them they would be trying to get their hands on a book called Spells and Souls. It was one of a kind and contained information on many types of black magic. Included among the spells were different methods to extend life. That is what had caught Kuronue's attention.

So they headed towards the castle. This time, there was no way to avoid fighting the guards. Sho and Akiko went around to the other side of the castle. Soon loud cries could be heard as the outside guards ran over to the same place.

Quickly the remaining members crept inside. Running through the halls, they soon encountered guards. While Shizuka and Kuro were willing to let some live, Youko wasn't. He took out his Rowan wand and it instantly became a sharp dagger. He brutally thrust the weapon into his victims necks, a small smile playing across his lips. One guard managed to dodge his attack, but Youko's foot swiftly came flying through the air and cracked his neck.

While he was taking out the guards, Kuronue was having a battle of his own. Several small lizardeye demons (like at the gate of betrayal) were hanging around by the high ceiling. They were shooting red energy beams at the group. He told the other three to stay back while he took care of them. He lifted into the air, his curved knife appearing in his hand from out of nowhere. It looked a lot like the blade of a scythe. He dodged the beams, turning flips in the air, then with speed so fast the eye could barely keep up with it, he appeared behind one of the demons. He sliced it in half and managed to avoid getting splattered by its blood. Then he killed the rest of them in the same manner.

Youko caught up just as the bat finished. He watched his love turn another flip before landing. _I wonder how his hat stays on when he does that. _He couldn't help but thinking as they ran on.

After a bit more killing and running they came to the treasure room. Shizuka and Yomi picked the locks and they all went inside. After searching the room they realized the book wasn't there. There were many different jewels that caught both Youko and Yomi's attention. They both felt like taking the jewels, but the difference was that Youko knew they could set off alarms or traps. They decided to go look at the library near the lord's chambers. Yomi was reaching for a jewel as they left the room. Youko called for him to come on, so he stopped and followed. _He knows that they could be trapped and we might be hurt. Yet he would have sacrificed us to get them, I don't like that._ Youko changed into his fox form.

As they entered the library they saw the book lying in a glass case in the middle of the room. What they also saw though, was the giant lord of the castle, looming before them, his shadow covering the whole group. So they readied for battle.

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That's it, a little shorter than usual but this chapter is two parts. Do the bandits get the book, or even win the battle, find out next chapter.

I'm not really sure what the demons are called so I made the name up.

I guess you could say Youko and Kuro are equal in power and skill. I'm not sure if I made that clear, parts like this aren't really my specialty. Till next time, this is Red Kitsune Flames, signing off.


	8. Spells and Souls part 2

Reveiwers make me so happy. Well here's another chapter for you all. It's time for battle, lets all hope no one's hurt. I'm just writing as I go, so I don't even know what's going to happen.

Speaking of reveiwers, I waited impatiently for you people to review so I could put this one up. I can't wait to get to the next chapter, it's my favorite. Since the story has sunk on the list of stories, I decided to put this one up now. No worries though, it wasn't really too long. I just like hearing what people think of my story.

**Darksaphire: **Thank you very much for the idea. I love it. I'm always willing to take suggestions and use them most of the time. I'll add that a little in chapter eleven. Reviews are a sure way to make that come faster. Two reviews per chapter will get another chapter. So thank you for reviewing my story, it's truly appreciated. I've been waiting impatiently for another review. Oh and cool name.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 8

As they entered the library they saw the book lying in a glass case in the middle of the room. What they also saw though, was the giant lord of the castle, looming before them, his shadow covering the whole group. So they readied for battle.

Youko had his wand ready, hovever, it had taken the form of a spear. Nori drew some small poisoned throwing daggars, and Shizuka raised her bow. Yomi didn't use weapons, but you could feel his spirit energy rising. Kuronue had never put his blade away in the first place.

The tiger lord wasted no time in attacking them. He swept one of his paws out with surprising speed. They all leapt out of the way, but Nori ended up with a deep gash on his arm. The room filled with orange light as the tiger launched a huge blast at Nori, clearly intending to pick them off one by one. He couldn't get out of the way in time, and as it was about to hit him, Shizuka jumped in front of the blast, her bow snapping instantly. She flew into her brother and they both hit the ground, losing conciosness together. She seemed to have suffereds quite a few injuries, but nothing serious.

As the demon prepared to strike out at the now unconcious siblings, Youko decided to stop him. He calmly leapt into the air above him and stabbed downward with his weapon. It struck true, and Youko sliced completely down it's right arm, making it unusable. The tiger cried out in pain and outrage.

With a feral roar, it swung its other paw at Youko. During this time, Kuronue had been focousing his energy for something big. As Youko continued to evade the massive demons killing swipes, he let loose his energy, a giant pendelum was forming above the tiger's head. It slowly began to swing downwards, but it went unnoticed by the demon, who was too blinded with fury to see anything but his Kitsune victim.

Yomi had finally gotten Nori and Shizuka to a safer area, and rushed back in to help them. He used his powers to bind the demon in place, allowing Youko a chance to retaliate. Vines that were covered in some strange power crept up the demon's body. Kuronue had an idea of what this was, so he swiftly let his pendelum drop.

As it fell towards the demon, the demon energy it emmited activated the powder now covering the demon's body, the powder exploded, painfully ending the demon's life as Kuro's attack cut through his skull. The exploding continued however, and the group rushed to get out of the room.

Kuronue flew towards the case in the middle of the room, and grabbed the book before it could come to any harm. While he did save the book, the explosions started by his own energy closed around him. He cried out in agony as explosions encircled him from all angles, blood gushing out his wounds. Then everything went black.

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Okay this is even shorter than the last one, but as I said, two parts. Sorry to leave you hanging like that, but there's something different I want to try after what happened to Kuro this chapter.

His wand is from chapter 5, he uses it as a weapon and the seeds in it can be released at any time, or plunged into an enemy's body with the weapon. That is where the vines came from.

Remember to review. At least two will get you the next chapter. It's my favorite because of the violent Youko and the 'special guest' We'll see how Kuro fares after that on the next chapter of, It's a Secret. (no pun intended)


	9. Worry and death, Sorrow and Attraction

Hello my readers. I'm so happy about getting reveiws so quickly this time, Yay! This chapter is a bit different from the others. In my opinion it is long overdue, not to mention entertaining. There is also a special guest.

**BlackRoseVixen05:** I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer to find out, Youko is very busy in this chapter. Glad I got some emotion from it though.

**Darksaphire:** Glad you liked it, and your Yu Yu Hakusho stories are good., I had actually read Riding Deception before.

Warning: In this chapter, Youko goes on a killing spree. Possible other things. Rating comes into play here.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 9

Youko couldn't sit still. After Kuro tried to save the book, he had been badly injured. Youko had rescued him and brought him back to camp as fast as possible. Sho had him in a in a tent and wouldn't allow anybody to see him. The chimera's condition was still unstable. Nori and Shizuka on the other hand, had already recovered in the week that had passed.

Youko couldn't stand waiting any longer, he needed to go let off some of his anger, at not being able to save Kuro from harm. He blamed himself for the explosions. Without a word to anyone he ran off towards town. His energy had been out of control while he worried, so as he ran, he left completely changed green life behind him.

He had covered himself with a cloak so nobody would recognize him. As he wandered around aimlessly, he noticed a couple of teenage boys following him. He turned and faced them, not caring who saw. "Get lost or perish." he told them, his voice icy and empty of emotion. They came out and surrounded him, irksome, arrogant smirks on their faces. It was clear they wanted to rob him.

"I warned you." he muttered before swiftly grabbing one of them by the neck. Without hesitation he crushed through the bones. Squeezing the life out of the boy without a second thought. As he did so, his hood fell back.

"It's Youko!" somebody cried, most people ran away as fast as they could, but a few foolish onlookers stayed to watch. The teenagers who had thought to rob him fell to their knees. "We're sorry, we didn't know it was you, oh greatness!" they cried. He felt a cruel grin touch his lips as he stabbed his claws into the one who spoke. He killed the rest of them off quickly.

Then he turned to the onlookers. He raised his blood covered fingers to their view then killed them in much the same fashion. At the end of the night, not a living soul remained in that town. Many had fled, but many more had been killed. This kind of thing had happened before, when Youko felt worried or angry. His delicate grace and calm beauty were what made him legendary. Sometimes he did these things for fun, this kind of thing also helped earn him the reputation of being a king of bandits, which wasn't entirely untrue.

After he vented his self anger on almost innocent demons, he returned to the forest around the campsite. Though sunrise was near, he still felt no desire or need to sleep or return to the camp. The violence had temporarily gotten Kuronue out of his thoughts, but now he had nothing to distract him.

He knelt by a small spring and dipped the fingertips of one hand into the water. Blood rose from his hand to the surface of the water. _Why did this have to happen? _He just sat there, his bangs shadowing his eyed. _Because of me, he was hurt. Because I wasn't strong enough. Because I had to show off with the flashy explosions. _Hearing one of Kuro's favorite expressions run through his head, he felt his eyes moisten a little. "_You've changed so much foxy boy._" _No, I haven't changed. I'm the same weakling I always was. I can't handle the truth of this, so I run. I try to show everybody I'm strong. But the truth is... the truth is I'm just a fraud. I have no right to live. I was rescued on that day so long ago, but he should have just left me there. I guess what he said is true, I'll always be a greedy little kit. I'm so selfish, I deserve only.._

He never finished the thought, for suddenly a deep voice spoke from behind him. (hint hint; special guest) "Am I interrupting your self pity fox?" a mocking voice rang out around him. Youko turned. _Why didn't I sense him approaching? _Standing in a tree directly behind him was none other than the forbidden child himself.

"What do you want?" Youko asked coldly, shaking off his wet hand. The half koorime smirked evilly. He jumped down and swiftly moved behind Youko, grabbing his elbows, and pinning the fox's arms behind his back.

He didn't respond. "This is a sight, the merciless bandit king at the mercy of the forbidden child. That's too ironic for words. But we're really not so different you know. The things you were thinking right now were not unlike what I've felt before. One difference though, I wasn't foolish enough to let my guard down while doing it."

"How do you know what I was thinking?" Youko questioned, curiosity getting the better of him. Plus he needed to buy his time... "I thought you were supposed to be a merciless killer. So why is it that the forbidden child is standing there trying to get pity from myself? Not to mention the fact that your body seems to be a little, shall we say, _excited _to see me." Youko mocked. He actually had no idea if that was the case, but judging by the demon's quick change of subject. He was.

"Did you forget already that I have a Jagan eye?" Hiei responded in that same bored tone that Kurama had mastered. Youko had met the koorime before. On several solo thieving jobs, he and the little demon had teamed up to get their hands on what they wanted. Though Hiei was an assassin, he did occasionally take on thieving jobs as well.

Youko had in fact forgotten about the demon's third eye. But that didn't matter now. Sharp ended vines shot towards the Koorime at full speed. With one hand holding Youko, the other drew his Katana and sliced the vines before Youko could blink. Then the Katana was at his throat. "Don't try that again." the little demon warned, his tone threatening.

"Don't worry." Youko told him, I never repeat the same move twice on one demon.

"Hn." his captor grunted. ( It's very obvious who this is.) He pressed the blade against the fox's neck just enough to draw blood. Youko tensed. "Don't worry, I won't kill you today." he was assured. "I'll just go back and kill the guy who asked me to kill you, I have a reputation to uphold, now don't I.

"But next time you're feeling suicidal remember this, when you were about to die, you didn't want too." He spun Youko around to face him, the sword still at his neck. He grabbed Youko's hair and wrenched his head roughly back. Youko stayed silent. The demons lips covered a sensitive spot on his neck. He felt the demon's tongue come out and slowly lap the blood from the cut. "Remember next time we meet however, that when I'm serious, I do enjoy to toy with my victims."

Since he was still bent back, he was lowered to the same hight as the koorime. The small demon leaned over him and looked down into his eyes. To his annoyance, Youko felt himself harden under the smaller demon's body. They both realized this, and with a smirk the forbidden child pressed their noses together. "What was that you said earlier about me being _excited?"_ Then the koorime pressed his lips down on Youko's, hard. Youko felt the other demons tongue enter his mouth and feel around it. _No, this is wrong!_ Youko thought, Kuronue coming back into his head. Just then he felt his assailant bite down hard on his tongue.

Youko couldn't help but utter a small whine at that. As the little demon pulled away he looked down at Youko, all emotion leaving his eyes once more. "Remember that pain next time you let your guard down you baka kitsune." and with that, the koorime vanished, leaving a confused Youko standing there.

All of his self pity, as the forbidden one had called it, vanished. And when he noticed sunlight reflecting in the water, he hurriedly ran back towards where his mate lay near death. All memories of the little Koorime gone from his mind.

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This is the longest chapter I've ever written. It should make up for the shorter chapters that I wrote before. Anyway, it took me while, so it better be appreciated.

I know, strange right. I just couldn't resist having Hiei kiss Youko. I knew I had to put Hiei in somewhere in foxy boy's past. And there was a reason for it, don't worry he still loves Kuronue. Anyway, if you want to find out what happens next I need reviews. Until the next chapter, what happens is as the title says, It's a Secret.


	10. A shot at immortality

Okay, wasn't last chapter fun! There is nothing special before the story in this chapter, so if you're like me, and you always skip to the story, go right ahead. I think this story will have about five more chapters, and maybe an epilogue. But I'm not sure. Okay, it's time for Youko to return to Kuronue after his little tantrum in the town.

**Lita Kitsune: **I'm glad you like it so much. I'm also glad my story is unique, here's the update you _called _for.

**BlackRoseVixen05:** I agree, I just had to put him there, it added a nice little twist to the story.

**Shiorifoxiesmom: **Hiei found Youko feeling self destructive and in his own way, he helped him. I also wanted to put a little romantic interest between the two, as well as reveal the fact that they knew one another.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 10

Youko arrived at the camp after running non stop about five minutes later. (What can I say? He's fast and he wasn't that far away.) He raced to his mate's tent and barged in without consulting Sho about Kuro's condition, prepared for the worst. When he got inside he breathed a sigh of relief. Kuronue was awake, he was still lying weakly on the cot, but he was stable. Sho got out of the chair by Kuro and left, saying only, "I'll leave you two alone."

Youko rushed to his lover's side. Kuronue smiled. "Morning love." he greeted weakly as Youko grasped his hands. Before he could speak, Kuro did. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this, and that's an order." Kuronue could read him like a book. Annd he read books very well. The arrangement they had made when Youko first became Kuro's apprentice had never really gone away. Kuronue rarely used it, unless it was really important.

"But if I hadn't," Youko began. He was interrupted when he noticed Kuro examining his bloody hand. He had only managed to clean one of them. Seeing the knowing look his bat gave him he grinned sheepishly. Like a kid being caught with cookies before dinner, instead of being caught red handed by his lover for murder, literally. "Oh that, well you see, I was so angry that I had to let off some steam, and the only thing I could destroy was the town. Plus, I didn't intend to, I was provoked by them. They were asking for it!" His eyes widened slightly, almost like they were desperately trying to convince him.

Kuronue laughed softly. "I'm not mad foxy boy. If you had stayed you probably would have scared away all of the bandits we have." His eyes became serious. "Who was the villian kissing you though?" Youko looked up, surprise clear only in his eyes, the rest of his expression impassive. "Did you forget I could sense some things that happen to you through the bond between us?" He reached up and brushed his fingertips over the narrow cut on Youko's throat. "Who must I kill for marring your beautiful skin?" he asked, ice creeping into his voice.

Youko decided not to go into detail about the event. "I took care of it." was all he said. He knew Kuronue would assume he had killed whoever dared to touch him. Kuronue didn't know he'd enjoyed the kiss. In fact, all Kuronue knew was that Youko had been kissed, and injured without his consent.

"Back to you bat." Youko said. "If I hadn't used that powder you wouldn't be hurt. And then none of this would have ever happened." Three tears fell, more than he had cried since before Kuro found him. He never really thought about his time as a slave, so it seemed like he cried for the first time ever. "It's all my fault." he whispered.

"We'll be having none of that now." A voice said from the entrance to the tent. Both lovers turned their gaze to the speaker. It was Akiko. At thirteen years of age, she already had the personality of a kind, but fiery old lady. (Like Genkai but nicer.) She also loved to eavesdrop. "Didn't you hear lord Kuro's order? He said no blaming yourself."

Youko nodded and smiled slightly, a special smile he had only shown to her and Kuro. "Alright I'll stop. But with all due respect, Stop listening to _our _private conversations. Go bother someone else, I'll continue training you and Yomi later." She yelped and hurried away.

"A little harsh, love." Kuronue pointed out dissaprovingly. "But never mind that, if I hadn't saved the book, I wouldn't have been hurt. The fact is that I did and I was. We can't change the past. So dwelling on it just makes you look stupid, got it?" Youko smiled again (Wow, twice in one day.) and nodded.

"Speaking of the book, I found something interesting." he informed his partner. Youko leaned back in his chair. "Oh?" he asked. Kuro opened the book to a page entitled Spirit circles. "Well, it's a good thing I saved the book, because if I hadn't, we'd never learn this interesting stuff."

"Do enlighten me." Youko said wryly. Kuronue handed him the book. It seemed to explain something called Spirit Circles (duh). Apparently you could use magic items made in a particular way. Forming a mental link with these items could allow you to do many things. But the items had to remain intact for the spell to last. It was a method that used to be common, but nobody knew what the items were that you could do it with. Apparently you could use souls to do it as well, but that's another story.

The spell had many uses, for instance it could place your soul in different bodies, bring people back to life, or supposedly make you near immortal. As long as the items survived. The latter was what caught the lover's interest. It read

_Using the spirit circles you can become immortal, or nearly so. Nothing may be felt harming you, but it is possible be wounded. If you are however, contact with the items used for the spell will completely heal you. If you carry them with you, you will heal instantaneously. That is not advised however, for if the spell is broken, your soul will be wrenched from you body, so concealing them elsewhere is advised. Normally, the spell would just break, but with immortality spells, you would no longer have a living body. _

It went on to describe the spell. There was a picture below it of what the spell should look like when cast or in use. The circle was complicated. (If you've seen full metal alchemist, picture a fancy transmutation circle with nothing in the center.)

Youko checked the next page, he was surprised to find that there was a list of items that worked for the spell. And even more surprised to find that the statue's he had (think about chapter 5 and 6) were listed. He checked the list and there was only one more item they needed. He stood and gave the book to Kuro.

"As soon as you've recovered we'll go steal this." Youko said. He left the tent after kissing his mate. Then he went to get his apprentices for training.

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I didn't tell you what the last ingredient is because even I don't know yet. But that's jumping ahead. Kuro will need a chapter or two to recover his strength. And in the meantime, Yomi gets greedy, and Youko just doesn't like it. So please review, I work hard on this and I want to know what you think. Just say "hi, I like it." or something like that if you don't want to be original. Okay, I await those Reviews.


	11. Yomi's Banishment

Welcome back to It's a Secret! In this chapter: While Youko's away Yomi can play. But when Youko finds out they have a bout. Anyway, I hope you like it. So with no further ado, here's the next chapter.

**I'd like to thank darksaphire for inspiring this chapter.**

**Shiorifoxiesmom: **Sorry for the delay.

**BlackRoseVixen05: **Yay, I'm being consistent!

**Darksaphire: **True enough, but I think there'll be a little twist on the situation.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 11

Kuronue had told Youko that his constant worrying was going to slow his recovery. So he had sent Youko away to find out where the mirror of souls, and the devil's amulet were held. With it they could supposedly cast the spell. But while both leaders were unable to maintain order, Yomi talked a group of less intelligent bandits into going on a raid. Yomi returned the next day with quite a bit of treasure, but he had lost every bandit in the process.

Shortly afterwards, Youko returned to the camp and found out what Yomi had done. Needless to say, he was furious. He summoned Yomi to a secluded spot in the forest. Before he even got a chance to scold him, Yomi had done something Youko would have never foreseen. He wrapped his arms around Youko from behind and pressed himself close.

Maybe once, Youko would have considered Yomi for something like this, but not since he and Kuro had strengthened their bond by deciding to be only with each other forever. The thing that upset Youko the most was that Yomi knew about this. His cold face stayed in place. Youko used his tail, which was actually pretty strong, to shove Yomi roughly to the ground.

"What was that for?" Yomi snapped as he got up and brushed himself off. Youko's eyes became even more menacing. _He's insane. He caused the death of so many bandits, and then he tries to.. seduce me? I made a mistake with this one, he must go. _With that one final decision, Yomi's fate was sealed.

"Don't play dumb Yomi." Youko commanded after his silence. "You sacrificed the lives of our men for a pointless reason. You violated my trust, therefore you are no longer welcome here. With that, Youko turned and trotted off indignantly, his tail swishing behind him.

When he returned to his men, he informed them that Yomi wasn't allowed back and that Akiko and Sho could have whatever they wanted of his, and choose who got the rest. Then he went to check on Kuro.

"Hey there foxy boy." he was greeted as Youko sat down by him. "What did you find out that has you in such a bad mood?" Before Youko answered, his bat pulled his head down into a kiss, just brushing their lips together. The chimera grinned, "I hope that cheers you up."

Youko bowed his head slightly. "Yomi will no longer be one of ours." he said, a note of finality to it. "There's some good news, it turns the mirror is held at the fortress of a snake demon in the middle of a bamboo forest. (ring any bells?) Within the palace, there is also an item known as the Devil's Amulet, it can be used to revive souls. That, the mirror, and the statues, are needed for that spell. I think it might be a useful thing to have."

At this Kuronue laughed out loud in his usual, playful manner. "Alright, give me a day and I'll be up and about. Don't interrupt me while I'm healing though." he added as an afterthought. Youko nodded and after a final kiss, he left his bat to prepare for the next theft.

After a heavy training session with Akiko, he went into the cave where there was water to bathe in. Over the years, part of the ceiling had caved in, so it was pretty light in there now. He began to take off his clothes to bathe, but just as his shirt came off he sensed someone come up from behind him. He turned slowly, some moss from the wall becoming two small, razor sharp whips.

The figure that stepped out of the shadows was none other than Yomi.

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At first this was going to be one long chapter, but I decided to cut it in half. I'll try to update soon, but I still have quite a bit of summer reading to finish for school. Till next time on, It's a Secret.


	12. Fate's Cruel Joke

Wow, I got a lot of reviews last chapter. Sorry it was so short, I didn't realize quite how short it was or I would've made it a bit longer. All these reviews have inspired me to write this chapter sooner. I hope this chapter will make up for the last one.

Unfortunately, it is now against the rules to answer reviews. There is a petition going around to stop it and until it works, I will just put the answer to any questions before the story.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 12

Without pausing to allow Yomi to speak, Youko raised his weapons menacingly. "Leave right now and I'll spare your life." He snarled, furious that Yomi had disobeyed his command. Something in Yomi's eyes seemed different, they were kind of glazed over.

Pure desperation drove Yomi now, all sense had left him. During his apprenticeship to the thief, he had learned a great many things. He thought he knew the fox pretty well, and believed that they were perfect for one another. That was why he was so jealous when Youko and Kuronue announced their strengthening of the mating bond. Now he didn't have even a chance of being close to the fox.

That heist had been a foolish attempt at winning the fox's affections. Instead, the fox he admired for being so cold and strong showed weakness by caring for the bandits he had lost. In Yomi's mind, the possibility that Youko valued the bandits lives more than treasure never even occurred to him. Now he had been banished, and he had nowhere to go. He had to get back into the band, and was willing to risk returning to do it.

Yomi just stood there, then he slowly spread his arms out to either side of him, leaving himself completely vulnerable. "You wouldn't attack me, would you?" Yomi asked, a slightly slurred sound in his speech. _He's drunk! _Youko realized with surprise. In all the time Yomi had been with them, he hadn't once gotten drunk.

Youko sighed, because Yomi was drunk, and Youko hadn't actually decided to kill him yet, his only option was to throw him out _again._ So Youko tossed his whips aside, and picked Yomi up, throwing him over his shoulders. He marched out of the cave and around the camp, making sure nobody saw them. During this he had to repeatedly fend off Yomi's attempts to pet his ears, the demon was very persistent. He ran a while until he came to a river quite a distance from the camp.(Yes, Yomi was heavy, but he's Youko.) Then he unceremoniously dumped his former apprentice in the river.

He watched with amusement as Yomi flopped around, he kept swinging his arms in the weirdest way to stay above the water. "Goodbye Yomi, don't come back." he said, turning and vanishing into the trees.

The next day, Kuro was fully recovered, though Youko was still pointlessly concerned about his mate. They took all of his old teachers, as well as Akiko, and were walking around the camp in a group. Basically they were checking on the security of the place before the thieves chosen for the theft would leave.

Youko was explaining spirit circles to Nori, who had quite an interest in ancient treasures and spells, when a faint scent reached his nose. _He wouldn't! _Youko inwardly moaned. "Youko are you in there?" Nori asked, waving a hand in front of Youko's face.

Normally Youko would have had made some witty response, but today he just nodded his head, a faraway look in his eyes. Kuronue caught this, and couldn't help but be suspicious about what was going on in his lovers head. He started to come over. Before he could reach them, however Youko left, saying to continue without him. "What was that about?" Kuro asked Nori. He just shrugged. Kuronue looked off in the direction that Youko had gone with a sense of dread.

Youko whizzed through the forest, searching for the source of the smell, hoping he was wrong, all the while knowing he wasn't. It took him a surprisingly long time to find him, and by the time he did, the others were starting to worry. Well, at least Kuronue was. That's why he decided to go look for his fox.

Youko finally found who he was searching for. Sprawled out on the ground at the bottom of a short cliff was a mysteriously clothes less Yomi. "You really have to stop doing this." he muttered, preparing to climb down to the unconscious demon. It looked like he fell off the cliff. That was strange, considering that by the time he got to the cliff, his drunkenness would have faded, so he shouldn't have fallen.

He made his way down the cliff, but in the process a rock that was sticking out from it snagged in his shirt. Due to a sticky substance that he didn't really want to know the source of, he couldn't get it unsnagged. So he slipped out of his shirt and fell the rest of the way to the ground, landing gracefully on his feet. As he landed, Yomi was starting to get up.

Due to the fact that he was still drunk, Yomi didn't remember much about being kicked out or Youko throwing him in the river. All he saw in his eyes was a gorgeous Kitsune in front of him. A kitsune who happened to be shirtless, he assumed that the shirtless part was because of him. Then when he realized he was completely clothes less, he thought that they were in the middle of something right now. (He's drunk, his brain isn't working right.)

Youko walked over to him, "Why are your eyes still blank like that?" Youko asked him. But he soon saw another emotion fill the demon's eyes completely, lust. _Oh great, yet another idiot who gets like that just at the sight of me. I know I'm the second most beautiful creature in Makai, but really, he needs some self control._ (Kuro he considers more beautiful than himself.)

Yomi was sitting up now. He looked into the kitsune's eyes, they were a beautiful golden color. In his mind those eyes were the ones full of lust. He decided that he would continue where they had clearly 'left off'. Yomi reached up and pulled the fox onto him. Then, before Youko could act, Yomi pulled him down into a kiss. Youko caught the taste of a Makai Passionflower on his breath the instant their lips touched.

Kuronue had been following the bond to his love when he felt the kiss. Just as he did, he also found Youko. Time seemed to stand still, Youko was partially undressed, Yomi's naked form beneath him. One of Youko's legs was in between Yomi's, his arms on either side of him. Yomi's hands were around Youko's head, and their lips were locked in a kiss. Kuronue felt so many emotions run through his body at once, surprise, anger, grief, betrayal, and hurt.

Youko was disgusted, Yomi had just kissed him. As quickly as he could, he pulled his head away from the demon. As his head came up, it turned towards that cliff, and the figure at the top of it. _Kuronue? _Youko's eyes widened in shock as he met his love's tearful gaze. Before he could react, Kuronue turned and ran away.

(Kuro's P.O.V. For the first time)

"They were kissing. But he said Yomi was gone. And sure, I knew Yomi liked him, but I didn't think he'd actually betray his own leader and do this either. How could he, Youko is my mate! How could they do this to me? I never really liked Yomi, I only let him stay for Youko's sake. He trusted the boy, apparently a little too much. Wait a second, that last kiss I sensed Youko receive. Was that Yomi too? Has this happened before, did Youko really lie to me?

**Flashbacks**

Youko lay next to Kuronue in bed, an arm around his bare shoulders. "Hey butterfly, are you really ready to do this?" Kuro looked at him in question. "To give up all of your other lovers permanently, I mean."

Kuro replied with fake haughtiness, "I'm fine with it, it's you who might not be able to handle it." Youko grinned. "Don't worry about that, I'm used to you." Kuronue leaned in and nibbled on Youko's ear. "Yes, I trained you well didn't I." He laughed at the faked offense on Youko's face. "We should really prepare for the auction now foxy boy." Kuronue told him.

Youko grinned. "Yes, so you go flutter your wings over to the bath and clean up." Youko told him. "_Flutter?"_ Kuronue replied indignantly. "Yes, _flutter_, just consider that payback for the well trained comment." Youko said grinning. Kuronue couldn't help but laugh at the fox's playful mood.

**End Flashback1-**

Kuronue ran, tears flowing at the memories flashing through his mind.

**now number 2**

Yomi had just been admitted to the band as Youko's second apprentice. There was a bit of a party in the camp that night to celebrate. Most of the bandits were drunk or otherwise occupied. Yomi, Youko, and Kuronue were sitting together around the fire. Yomi's eyes just kept running over Youko's body, and it greatly annoyed Kuro. "Would you quit that already?" he snapped.

Yomi immediately came to focus on Kuronue, giving him a look that said it all. He was forced to obey Kuro, but he wanted Kuro's number one possession, meaning Youko. The look Yomi continued to give him was incredibly annoying, and Youko seemed oblivious to it.

"So, oh lord of sensual beauty and grace," Yomi said, turning to Youko "what kind of training will I go through now."

Youko grinned at the way Yomi addressed him. "That's so cute, you admire my beauty." Youko teased, his cold face still up, but more relaxed as he was in a playful mood. "I think we'll do some basic fighting practice tomorrow." he said in response to Yomi's question.

"Oh does that mean that I get to see the great Youko Kurama in training clothes?" Yomi said slyly. Youko laughed. "If you're a good little boy, of course I'll grace you with my beauty." he said, a serious look on his face. Kuro could already tell it was a mistake to bring Yomi into the band.

**End flashback 2**

Kuronue continued to flee from his mate, now flying above the forest where Youko couldn't see him.

**now final flashback**

Yomi and Youko stood facing each other in fighting stances. Kuronue sat watching them. "Ready?" Youko asked. Yomi nodded. They charged at each other, Youko crouched down and swept Yomi's feet out from under him. Instead of falling backwards, Yomi pushed himself forward, using Youko as a cushion. It seemed to Kuro that he remained there longer than necessary before springing up. As they sparred, Kuro noticed that Yomi kept getting as close as possible to Youko, and making skin contact more than necessary.

Youko caught Yomi in a headlock. Yomi pressed backwards against him, then slipped down out of his arms before Youko could pull his arms tighter. He turned and grabbed Youko's ankles, pulling them out from under him. Youko quickly maneuvered his hands and did a back flip, landing gracefully on his feet.

Kuro sat there glaring at Yomi when Takeshi came up behind him. "He's very skilled, Youko has found himself a first rate apprentice." the cat observed. Kuro growled slightly, his hands tightening into fists. He looked back to the fight just in time to catch Yomi giving him a satisfied smirk before dodging a swipe from Youko's claws. Kuro just turned and stormed away angrily.

**End flashback mode**

Tears flowing, wings fluttering, Kuronue managed to escape his love, but not until later would he realize what a mistake that was.

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Wow that was a long one. I hope that clarified the whole Yomi situation. And poor Kuro, he just got better, and now this. With Kuro escaping from Youko and a high class theft coming up, will the two make up or is this it for their romance? Find out on the next chapter of It's a Secret.


	13. Tragic Forgiveness

Glad you all liked the last chapter. I love getting reviews, they really encourage me to write the next chapter. If Kuro was a bit ooc it was just because he saw his mate in an intimate position with another man. They've been mates for a hundred years, so naturally he's a little upset. Anyway, I'm glad I got such emotion out of you guys.

How do the shock waves of the events last chapter effect the raid? Find out now.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 13

It wasn't until the day after that Kuronue returned. Just as Youko had thought he'd have to ahead on the raid without Kuronue, he walked out of the woods. "Lord Kuro!" Yomi exclaimed as he approached. Purposefully avoiding Youko's gaze, Kuronue stopped in the center of the group.

"It's time to go get those artifacts." he said in a voice empty of any emotion. All of his men cringed away. The last time Kuro had talked like that was when Youko got hurt in a raid, he (Kuro) had gone back and murdered every person in that palace. The bandits knew that when he talked like that it was best to stay out of his way. "I'll take Takeshi, Shizuka, Akiko, and Youko with me, the rest of you stay here." Sensing that some of them objected, he cut them off by saying, "This mission requires stealth and speed, large numbers will just get in the way." With that he jumped up and leapt off into the trees, clearly expecting the other four to follow.

Youko knew that Kuronue wouldn't talk to him in front of the others, he also knew from experience that you can't let emotions bother you while you're sneaking into a fortress. Kuronue knew as well. So he went with the others, completely unaware of the concerned look Akiko was giving him. After about an hour they came to the bamboo surrounded fortress.

They used the bamboo to propel themselves ninja-like through a high window. Running through the halls they ruthlessly took down the many guards they came across. Other than the guards, there seemed to be very little security. Treating Youko coldly, but doing nothing to endanger the group, Kuronue led the group around, searching for a place that a mirror would be hidden.

When they approached a floor a little bit above ground level they noticed that security was much tighter, and they realized their target must be near. Deciding to cast away stealth and just charge straight through the hallways, they released their compressed energy, resulting in all guards nearby heading straight for them. A yell from Akiko sent them running towards the young girl in the back. A guard had grabbed her and she was struggling to get free. Takeshi and Shizuka gave their leaders a nod, telling them to go ahead, then ran back towards Akiko as more and more guards surrounded her.

Kuronue and Youko turned silently and ran, the unmistakable scent of blood rising up from behind them. They finally found the vault, along with a complicated lock. Youko immediately turned to fox form and peered inside it with much keener vision than normal. Then, picking a seed from his fur and clasping it in his teeth, he made a living lock pick. The thin brown branch stemmed from the seed in his teeth and forked out as it was inserted into the lock. With a click, it came loose and clattered to the ground. The whole process had taken about fifteen seconds.

Inside the vault were the typical piles of treasure, but also many locked chests and various works of art. And there, hanging discreetly on the back wall was the mirror. It seemed to glow with a lavender light as they looked into it. It was entrancing, drawing them into it. They were snapped out of their daze when they heard heavy footsteps from the guards behind them. Taking his blade, Kuronue struck the wall, creating a huge hole. They knew they couldn't get the pendant today, but would have to return another time. Grabbing the mirror, Youko was sure to leave a seed that grew to reveal the design of a five-tailed fox chasing a butterfly-like bat. (He does that on every mission.) They both leapt through the hole and down into the bamboo with the guards right behind them.

Kuro's P.O.V.

Leaping through the bamboo, Kuronue was only vaguely aware of his surroundings. He was still deep in thought about what Youko had done, and as a result his outer senses were dulled. "_How did it turn out this way?" _Images from the other day flashed through his mind. The memories renewed the pain. "_Why would Youko kiss another, after he agreed to be loyal to me, and I to him?" _That was when it hit him full force. _"Wait, he couldn't have kissed Yomi! I would have sensed any disloyalty through our bond, and he would have felt some sort of punishment for it. That first kiss, I knew then that it wasn't Youko who was at fault, just like it wasn't this time either! Youko, I've been so blind!" _The truth hit him full force, unfortunately it was a little to late.

He started laughing as they ran, he was so relieved. His love hadn't betrayed him after all! He felt like dancing, he was so happy.

Youko's P.O.V.

When he heard Kuronue laughing, he was confused. _I thought he was angry. _But when he felt a flood of emotions come pouring through their bond, he instantly understood. Kuronue was happy, he felt the bat's love radiating through him. Their bond was back to full strength, and it was as if a piece of him had finally returned. He felt himself smiling, and soon, he was laughing just as much as his partner.

Suddenly, the chain on Kuronue's pendant snapped. That pendant was one that they had stolen together, and Kuronue valued it very much. That was why he turned back to go after it, plunging towards the ground. "Don't Kuro!" Youko shouted, reaching out his free hand.

"I need it!" Kuronue yelled back. _Stupid bat! _Youko chased after him, seeing the guards getting closer. Upon landing, Kuronue stepped on a cord that triggered a trap. A bamboo shoot, razor sharp, pierced his leg. "Kuronue!" Youko cried as he came to his love's side. _He normally would have avoided that, why wasn't he aware of it? Why didn't he see? _He reached out to help his bat, the guards were almost there.

"No Youko, run, Save yourself!" Kuronue cried. _Leave you? _Youko intended to ignore him, but when he met his love's eyes, something clicked. _He has no hope of escaping, and I do. If I stay, then we'll both die. So h_e did the only thing he could, he turned and fled. As he ran, he saw the guards throw more bamboo shoots, he saw Kuro get trapped by them. Then one final shoot whistled through the air and pierced Kuro's heart. The cry and that moment would haunt Youko for the rest of his life. _Kuro! Why did it have to be you! _He was tempted to let the guards have him, to give up on life right there. He would have too, but the knowledge that Kuro had died for him, that was what kept him going.

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_Kuro!_ Every time I read that in any story, even mine, it makes me sad. Don't hate me, I didn't write this part, well I kind of did. But it wasn't me who killed Kuro. Sorry if it's a bit tragic, but this is intended to be like it's Youko's true past. I think I may have rushed it a little, but there's only so much I can do. So what will happen to Youko now, find out in the next chapter, To Love's End.

The title was inspired by the song from Inuyasha, To Love's End. I was listening to it as I wrote that end part, it was very depressing.


	14. To Love's End

Hey I'm back again. Last time you were here, Kuronue had just told Youko to run from the guards, sacrificing himself to let his mate live. Youko knew he couldn't save Kuronue, so he ran, and as he did, saw his love's demise. That kind of thing can have a bad effect on a person, and when they've been together for the last 200 years, that would make a big impact on anyone. And yeah, I was going to have him die before he realized Youko was innocent, but it would have been to sad to write. So how does Youko handle this? Find out now.

Oh and now that school started the only time I have to write this is on weekends, so the chapters won't come out as fast as before. I will try to do one a week.

**Note: **The following chapter will likely be a bit depressing, so if you don't like it, eat some sugar as you read to keep you cheerful.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 14

Youko emerged from the forest carrying the mirror under his arm. He gazed at the ground, his eyes teary and empty, like someone who's spirit had been broken. As he appeared, Nori and Sho ran up to greet him. Their joyful smiles turned to frowns as they saw Yoko's dejected expression. They exchanged worried glances. "Youko?" Nori asked softly. Youko looked up at him, and what Nori saw in his eyes was heartbreaking. Youko's eyes were withdrawn, with a hopeless expression much like when he had first joined them. Currently, the only ones in the camp who had been there then were Nori and Sho, but they could tell that he had lost the spark of youthful spirit that had made him who he was.

They followed Youko into Kuronue and his tent while fending of inquiries from the other bandits. Inside, Youko handed the mirror to Nori and lay back where Kuronue usually slept, still fighting back tears. He curled up and hugged his knees into his chest. Nori put the mirror safely in a locked chest, then joined Sho next to Youko. Despite his best efforts, Youko couldn't hold back his tears as they flowed freely down his cheeks. _Kuro..., _that moment just kept playing through his head. His two teachers exchanged a dark look over his head.

"What happened?" Sho asked as gently as he could. Youko just shook his head and clutched his knees tighter. Sho noticed his tail was trembling violently. "Youko, you need to tell us. Don't forget, Akiko is my daughter. _Akiko! _Her fate hadn't even crossed Youko's mind since they split up. He wasn't an optimist, he knew that Akiko, as well as Takeshi and Shizuka were likely dead if they hadn't returned by now. And though the thought grieved him, it was nothing compared to the pain of losing Kuronue.

_You idiot._ He thought, _Why did you do that. It was me who should have died. It was me who's value in this world was so small. I was just a greedy child, but you were a beloved leader. If anyone should have died it was me. I'll live now, because if I don't your death was worthless. If I go, then your sacrifice was in vain. But just because I live doesn't mean every breath I take won't cause me pain. _As Sho and Nori tried to convince him to speak, he sank deeper into his depression.

"Okay Youko, if that's the way you want it, you can stay here until you're ready to speak to us. But I expect you to tell us everything the second you leave this tent. We'll go now, and bring some food in a little later." Nori gestured for Sho to follow him out of the tent. Youko didn't notice them leave though, in fact, he had forgotten they were there.

Over the next few days, Nori or Sho were true to there word and only disturbed him when they brought him food. But he never saw them, and his meals went untouched. He hadn't moved an inch since he first lay down. If Akiko had been here, she would have probably been able to bring him out of this depression, but now there was nobody who could reach him.

While Youko showed no signs of outward motion, inside his mind was working at an incredible pace. That in itself was consuming huge amounts of his energy. So even though it had only been a few days, his body began to show signs of his inward grief. He grew pale and thin, his eyes were glazed over, and his breathing was shallow. He was also getting a bad fever, but he didn't know any of this. All he knew was a black void where his darkest thoughts kept repeating over and over.

His ancient feeling of inferiority that he had had as a slave came back to him. He felt as if the whole world hated him, and it had just revealed itself now. Kuronue, he would never doubt Kuro's love for him. Kuro had made the ultimate sacrifice for him, but now that he was gone, it seemed as if nobody else cared for him. So as much as he didn't want to waste Kuro's sacrifice, it seemed as if there was no other choice.

_I have to die. There is nothing more that binds me to this world. The bandits will be fine without me. Kuro is gone, and they will hate me for it. It only makes sense. Maybe I am a coward. Maybe it is the selfish thing to do, but I have no alternatives. Usually there is a choice, death is always an option. But in this case, it's the only option. It's time to leave this world._

So that night, on the fourth night since his return, he stirred from his bed, and sat up. When Nori came in with his food, he was delighted to find Youko _awake, _as he put it. He had a demon rush to get Sho. And when the other fox arrived and sat down, he told them what had transpired. In a monotone voice, he explained in great detail what had occurred, never displaying any emotion. And when he was done, both Sho and Nori were sobbing. Without a word they went to inform the others of their leaders demise.

_There I have done it. I have fulfilled my last earthly obligation. _With that in mind, Youko left the tent and walked straight through the camp and into the forest. If he had stopped to look around, he would have seen that no one blamed him for Kuro's demise. But as he didn't, it was unimportant, because in his mind everyone, including himself blame Youko.

So the fox walked through the forest until he came to a clearing used for things similar to what he was about to do. Here he would die. In Judgment glade, where many before him had been tortured and died, sometimes self willed. And where some would end it quickly, he was no coward. _I deserve to die a traitors death. _He had played the role of torturer before, and therefore knew exactly what to do.

_I love you Kuro, and now, though it may cause you grief, I will end this. For though it may hurt now, in the end this is for the best. And though this path of love and pain may hurt, I will bring it to its end. My love for you may never end but nor will my pain. So now, because I love you so, I will end it. My life is over, but my pain will last to love's end. I will not run away, my pain shall be eternal, as the methods of my death will ensure. So now I shall begin._

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After this there will probably be two or three more chapters. To answer a question I got, Yomi was in the camp because he was trying to get Youko to take him back, by now he's gone.

Sorry to leave it off like that, but next chapter will open with Youko's self inflicted torture. And if there's anyone who doesn't want to read that, I'm warning you now. Though I'm not very good at that kind of thing so it will most likely just be ineffective in showing his pain.


	15. Sympathetic Interference

Hey, it's time for another chapter of It's a Secret. In a review someone said I should change the genre to angst and romance. I think that makes sense but what do you guys think. Let me know, k? So last time Youko decided that without Kuronue around to love him, his existence on this earth should be ended, but not painlessly. Right after this decision is where this chapter now begins. And one more thing, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

**There will be a certain amount of Youko self torture in this chapter.**

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**Last Chapter**

So the fox walked through the forest until he came to a clearing used for things similar to what he was about to do. Here he would die. In Judgment glade, where many before him had been tortured and died, sometimes self willed. And where some would end it quickly, he was no coward. _I deserve to die a traitors death. _He had played the role of torturer before, and therefore knew exactly what to do.

_I love you Kuro, and now, though it may cause you grief, I will end this. For though it may hurt now, in the end this is for the best. And though this path of love and pain may hurt, I will bring it to its end. My love for you may never end but nor will my pain. So now, because I love you so, I will end it. My life is over, but my pain will last to love's end. I will not run away, my pain shall be eternal, as the methods of my death will ensure. So now I shall begin._

**End recap**

Thick, spiked vines rose up around him and sliced through his clothes and flesh. He uttered no sound as his clothes fell silently to the ground and quickly became soiled with his blood. One vine wrapped around his arms, cutting deep into his flesh. Still he remained silent. It lifted him about twenty feet off the ground. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.

The vine on his arms slithered down his body until it was instead wrapped around his waist. The thorns left a long, jagged cut, not caring where they sliced. As his arms fell out to the sides each was caught bay a separate vine and held up at the sides of his head. As they caught his arm there was a faint cracking noise. Those vines dug into his elbows as harshly as his other flesh, something which should have, but miraculously didn't prevent the use of his arms. So he turned his hands despite of the injuries to his bones and grabbed the vines, palms down. They went straight through his hands. Crimson blood ran down his body.

As he continued to let the vines dice up his body, he was unaware of two silent observers, both of whom were enraptured by this display. One of them watched, feeling sorrow at this scene, but at the same time knowing it was not his place to stop it. The other observer felt only excitement at the sight of the suffering that the kitsune was experiencing, and showed it in with panting he was doing. Both of them, one more willingly than the other, couldn't help but think the scene beautiful. Under the moonlight, the silver kitsune was a tragic beauty. It was almost angelic. The crimson blood that flowed down him was gleaming in the darkness. And the dark vines that bound him were more alive than even the best artists would ever be able to portray. One of the observers wanted to preserve this image forever, whereas the other one was sickened at the thought of this being beautiful.

Around him, a few evil looking night creatures came to watch him. They were the vultures of the night. They sensed a death about to happen and knew they were in no danger. So they sat and waited, eager to taste the meat in their jaws.

More vines wrapped around his legs,binding them together and marring the perfect skin. The vines wound around his legs several more times. And as the blood flowed down his body, the vines began absorbing it, turning themselves crimson. Razor sharp vines pierced his shoulders, his stomach, his knees. And through all of this, Youko was silent. He felt the pain, but compared to inside him, nothing could equal the pain of losing Kuro. The point of this ceremony was to die experiencing equal physical and emotional pain. Not until he cried out in pure physical agony would he be released from this world.

So long into the night, his silent punishment continued. Through this his mind was empty of any more thoughts. At this point blame was pointless. Plus even he had limits of tolerance. All of this pain, even if it wasn't enough for him, was effecting his body. And despite all of his efforts, he slipped submissively into unconsciousness. There was no point in the vines continuing while he wouldn't feel it. So the torture stopped, but he still hung there, crimson vines embedded in his flesh.

The instant he passed out though, his sympathetic watcher took action. A flaming pyre shot into the air above Youko. This was a beacon for the two demons who had entered the forest in search for him. It was also what ultimately saved his life. For when Nori and Sho saw the fire they came running. When they entered the glade they found Youko there lying perfectly still in the vine's clutches. Even though he had initiated the ceremony, he had given the vines control. And when they drank his blood they became demonic plants. So even if he wanted to, Youko had no control.

Though they were horrified by the sight in front of them, the two demons did not stop moving towards the fox. Sho summoned vines that were like Youko's but green. Nori made javelins out of his energy and threw them in quick succession. The vines were severed from their student and leader. Headfirst, Youko plummeted towards the ground. While Sho fought back the vines that tried to recapture Youko, Nori jumped forward and caught Youko. He grimaced as Youko's blood instantly began seeping through his clothes and the thorns that remained in Youko's flesh pressed against him. Sho gave him a nod. Nori returned the gesture and ran with Youko back to the camp, not stopping for anything.

When they felt their prey escaping, the vines tried to chase him. And as long as Youko wanted to die, they would continue trying. The ceremony that Youko was preforming wasn't unknown to Sho, and he knew that staying there was futile. So with a surge of energy a large red and white flower grew and covered his hand. He gathered energy at the center of the flower, a strong silver-grey light built up within it. Then with a roar the energy was released. The force of the blast not only broke through the vines, but it sent Sho flying back through the trees. Each one he hit broke in two.

Nori had just arrived back at camp with Youko when Sho appeared. "Quickly." he instructed. Have our four strongest defense experts position themselves at each corner of the camp and put up a barrier. Until we can convince Youko to halt the ceremony those vines will continue to pursue him." He then took Youko and ran into the medical tent. Nori did as Sho commanded. Just as the red barrier went up around the camp, it was completely covered by enormous, writhing, blood red vines.

Inside the tent Sho grew some lamp like plants and set Youko down. He winced when he looked at the fox. He grew a brown plant to serve as pliers. Just then Nori entered and a distinct intake of breath could be heard when he saw Youko's condition. The fox had wounds all over his wrists as well as several places on his legs were broken. Many thorns and some vines were still attached to his body. "We can still help him but we have to hurry." Sho told Nori. They knelt on either side of the Kitsune.

He took the pliers and gave Nori a pair as well. Fastening the pliers securely to the thorns in his hands they yanked upward, forcing them out. The flow of blood from his hands increased. They expertly wrapped bandages securely around his hands. Next they set about removing the thorns from his torso. The first one they removed had thin roots growing from the bottom. "The vines are starting to take root in him, we must hurry." Sho said in a hurried tone.

They spent almost an hour removing the numerous spikes from his body. After they bandaged him as much as they could they began to apply different salves to his wounds. One particularly bad hole in his stomach was hard to work on. The fact that Youko was to weak to use his energy to heal was what made his situation much more drastic than it would have been otherwise. Finally they put splints on his wrists and legs. Chances were that he would be unconscious for a long time.

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I know, that was a very strange chapter, and I'm not sure how well I did at displaying Youko's reasoning for that. I think this story will be longer than I thought because the whole vine thing will take one or two chapters to be resolved. After that we have maybe three final chapters. So this is the climax of the story right here people. I never intended to add this part of the story, it just sort of came to me last chapter. I think it's much better than writing just one chapter where he's depressed about Kuro. When you review ell me what you think please.

Now please don't forget to tell me if I should change the genre to angst, after this chapter I think I might.


	16. Just To See You Smile

Hi, Hi, sorry I'm late. Just like Shigure in Fruits baskets, bad, bad. So I'm here now and I won't make you wait any longer. Last chapter was kind of odd, but this one should bring this part of the story to a close. Here we go!

_Youko thoughts_

_**Other voice**_

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It's a Secret: Chapter 16

_Kuronue... _Youko felt like he was floating. Everything was black. _I miss you love. _He thought. Little did he expect to hear an answer.

_**Stupid apprentice, do you really think I'd want you to kill yourself**._ He looked around blinking. _Kuronue? _The wavering image of his bat appeared then drifted away in front of him. _Where are you? I'm lost without you. If you're not here among the living, I shouldn't be either!_

No voice answered him though. No image appeared. And suddenly he was sinking, falling into an endless void. Drowning in eternal darkness. _Help me... _There was a response this time._**So you want to live? **Want.. no, not without you. Not all by myself. _Memories of life before Kuronue flashed through his mind. A blow to the side, bones cracking, pain, and then... _Kasumi! _He hadn't thought about her since he started living with Kuronue. _Why is that?_

**_You were afraid to remember. _**Afraid? No that couldn't be it. _The great Yoko Kurama fears nothing! _Then another thought struck him. _A name... _"Stupid Youko, you're lucky we took you in." , "I'm just a slave, they never gave me a name", "Yes, your new name is Youko Kurama." A barrage of moments from his past. _I don't have a real name. I'm just a slave, at heart, I'm weak. _

_**Don't talk like that.**_His bat's image appeared again. It's arms surrounded him, though he could not feel what wasn't really there. Like everything he once valued, this was just an illusion. _**A wise fox once told me, that you have to bend the rules to get what you want. He said that as long as the identity you assumed was perceived as truth, then that made it so. Do you remember? **_

_The truth.. as it is seen and understood. Yes... I said that once. _He felt confusion, that couldn't be right. And yet, he remembered and understood it to be right. **_Yes, and how do others perceive you?_ **_Me... I'm the ruthless king of bandits. Seen as others as being cold and bloodthirsty. _But that isn't right, that's just a facade. **_What about your bandits?_ **_To them, to them I am Youko, playful, flirtatious, and powerful. _That seemed more accurate to him. But not quite right. It just didn't make sense to him. He scrunched his face cutely as he examined the puzzle lain out before him. **_And what about to me? _**

_Kuronue..._ A fresh pang of sorrow and despair swept through him. The pain of knowing he was lost to Youko, possibly for all time. _In Kuronue's eyes, I was just foxy boy. I was his love, and usually, Excitement_ rushed through him as he said this. _I was his parter, his equal. _New understanding hit him, Kuronue valued him as much as he was valued by Youko. _If it was me, and he was back here alive..._ _**You would want me to live on. My death would hurt you even if you were no longer in the Makai. **Yes. So that means, if I die, you would feel the same pain that I do now. That pain that nothing physical can monopolize. And if I did come to you in the land of the dead, then you would be sad. Instead of seeing your brilliant smile, you would look on me with sadness. Even if we were reunited, my death would sadden you. But that isn't what I want._

As he realized this, the void around him started dissolving. He felt stable once more. **_For me Youko, live on. _**The chimera's holograph dissolved with the void. _For you Kuro, because I am a part of the living, I will stay here. So when we meet again, I will see you smile. Even without you, I will continue to live until the black fog of death consumes me. Then we will meet, and I will finally see your beautiful smile once more.._

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Light flickered into view. He couldn't feel his limbs. Looking down at his arms and legs he saw they were heavily bandaged and quite a few were broken. Memories of what he had done came back to him. But how did he end up here? He realized he was back at camp. _Someone must have found me._

There was a rustle at the tent flap. Then a surprised gasp. "Sho, come quickly, Youko's woken up!" Youko blinked his eyes, trying to get accustomed to the light. _This is where I should be. _Nori reentered the tent with Sho at his heels. They came over and knelt at Youko's side. When he looked at their faces, he saw immense sorrow there. He realized they must know what he had tried to do. Guilt and shame began to build in him when he realized that they too, had been worried about him.

"Youko. Why did you... how could you cause yourself so much pain? Kuronue wouldn't want that." Sho looked at him sadly. "Just because Akiko and the others are gone, doesn't mean I would want to die." His saddened tone reminded Youko that he wasn't the only one to lose somebody close.

"Sho is right you know." Nori said in a gently chastising tone. "Shizuka, my sister, do you think I felt nothing at her loss. Do you think that I should die because she did. No, and you shouldn't either. I understand that because of your mating bond, you would feel the pain more intensely than us. The severance of a connection so intimate would stun anyone." Youko watched a grimace cross Nori's face. He seemed really worn out. "But I always thought you were stronger than that. I believed and still do, that you more than any of us, has the power to overcome it." His eyes glistened. "After all, you are the legendary Youko Kurama, king of bandits."

Slowly, though it caused him much pain, Youko lifted an arm up off the bed and placed his hand gently on Nori's shoulder. That seemed to snap them back into reality. "Youko it's way to soon to move." Sho said quickly, helping him lower his arm back down to his side. "After that, you might be in bed for a long time." Both his teachers seemed relieved though, they knew he no longer intended to die.

Youko nodded and opened his mouth to speak aloud at last, but no sound came out. His eyes widened and he tried it again. Still no reaction from his voice. He looked questioningly at Sho, who nodded his head. "You used up all of your demon energy." He explained. "It's natural that you won't be able to do anything, including speaking, until you recover some of it."

He made a gesture to Nori, who then left the tent. "All will be well now, the worst is done. Just get some rest now, let us heal you." He mixed some plants together and created a green liquid. "Drink this." He pulled open the fox's mouth and poured the hot, sticky, green concoction down his throat. Then he too, left the tent. Youko felt himself growing sleepy, and soon he fell once more into the land of his dreams.

Outside, Nori had informed the other demons that Youko had awakened. Sho came out just in time to see the red vines withdraw. As they did, the barrier around their camp faded. The four demons who sustained it collapsed in exhaustion. Sho went to help restore their energy. Ah well, a kitsune's work was never done.

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And there is your chapter. I think this turned out better than thought. It was a good way to recover Youko. Now we can get back to the original story line once more. Youko will be a while in recovering, but when he does, he's going to do something interesting. Don't you just love the chapter name? Please read and review, your opinion matters. I'll try to update faster this time. Thank you for reading, this is Red Kitsune Flames, signing off.


	17. Goal for Recovery

Okay, I'm really excited about writing this chapter. I've been thinking about it and dying to write it all week. Now I'm sitting in my room, in the dark, at 11:00 at night. It's fun though. To answer Darksaphire's question, there are no types of stories that I disapprove of. So now we find Youko on the road to recovery after his near suicide. What will happen now? Read to find out.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 17

It had taken several weeks, but Youko was finally able to get out of bed. Even though it was only for a few hours each day. Now that his energy was partially recovered, the healing process would be much faster. Now he labored to walk and run without collapsing. This was the first step in returning to his former glory.

Sho had vines on either side of Youko. After he had tripped and reopened the wounds in his stomach, they needed to be careful. Youko knew this too, but it was still annoying. He hated being reliant on anybody but Kuro. So now as he labored to run at even half of the speed he once could, he felt more determined than ever to succeed.

It was early in the morning, and after a light rainfall, the forest glistened with dewdrops. Days like this had always been Youko's favorite. The light of the sun brightening the sky after a storm always made him feel stronger. There were the usual noises, birds and other animals, as well as the far away voices of the bandits as they sat around for breakfast.

Youko hated looking weak in front of his men, so he always went into the forest when he did this. Running along the protective wall of vines, he tried not to think about the unpleasant experience of changing his bandages that would come after. He hated having his wounds treated. With labored breathing he came to a stop at the end of the tree line. Above him was another cliff with a level of trees. He knew he wasn't strong enough to climb up there, but he really wanted to try.

But sadly, he knew it was not an option. So he turned around and headed back, walking this time. Branches stirred as a light breeze began to blow. A while later he arrived back at the camp, he was in no hurry. When Sho spotted him, he waved the fox over. Youko sighed and went over to join the other Kitsune. Sho had him sit down by a small pool of water left by the rainfall.

The sting of air against his wounds as his bandages were unwound caused Youko to wince. He had airtight bandages around his whole torso, his arms, and his legs. He slipped the pants off of his legs to enable Sho to reach the bandages underneath. Soon after he felt a cold cloth being run over his wounds, an experience he did not like in the least. Then came the salve that was supposed to help to heal and prevent scarring. After all, Kitsune are a very vain race.

After fresh bandages were rewound he was ordered to return to his tent. Sullenly, Youko returned to his boredom and the isolation of his recovery. Instead of just lying in bed, he decided to get a book to read. When he went over to his collection of rare books he searched to find something useful to read. What he did find though, was something he had completely forgotten about. There among his collection of books was the book he and Kuro had stolen together recently.

_The Devil's Amulet! _He realized, thinking back to the other target at the snake lord's castle. _Combining that with the statues and the mirror can revive souls, maybe that can work for Kuro! _The fox knew that it was risky, he probably shouldn't have tried to fight against death, but his mind was still fragile. He would seize any hope he could and cling to it. Grabbing the book, he rushed to tell Nori and Sho what he had remembered.

The next few days passed swiftly for the Youko. He labored much harder to get his body back to full health, and when he went to the tent in the afternoon he slept. All of his energy was focused on recovering. So soon, his bandit leader mask was on again. While he was injured his expressions displayed his feelings like an open book. Now his face was cold and unreadable once again.

It's not true that he only thought about recovery though. During those days of labor, he also looked back over the past days. When he did, there was one thing he realized, Yomi had gotten off too easy. There was no way Youko would let Yomi get away with what he had done. But for now, there was nothing he could do about it.

Right now he was having his bandages changed, again. He kept grimacing at the sting. It was quite a sight, the cold faced Youko Kurama having his wounds tended to by an elderly Kitsune. Youko was aware that his recovery was still not fast enough, so he came to a decision. He knew that he should really do what Sho instructed, but he was too impatient.

Instead of returning to his tent, he snuck off into the forest. It was time to start plant manipulation once again. Running through the trees, looking at home among the plants, he set a destination. Youko headed to a clearing he knew of that was surrounded by many of his favorite plants. Since he was trying this for the first time in a while, he decided to keep it simple today.

He took a dark blue flower and sent his energy cautiously through it. The flower was a demon lily. It reacted to his presence inside it instantly. _It always amazes me how intimate the connection between the plant and the manipulator is. Almost as intense and personal a connection as Kuro and I in the night together. _A smile lit his face as he thought of his bat. A small one, but there nonetheless. Though thoughts of Kuro had made him happy, his eyes still glistened with unshed tears.

He turned his attention back to the lily. It had shaped itself into a curved dagger, like the kind Kuro had used. Tears threatened to fall once again, and Youko felt suddenly tired. He changed the flower back and held it close to his heart. He would keep this for a while. Now he had to go back and rest.

Thoughts of Kuro kept Youko training harder every day. He worked every time he could, and his efforts paid off. It was five weeks later, and Sho had deemed him recovered enough to go places on his own. He wouldn't be back to full power for a while, but at least he the only bandages he had to wear were on his wrists. And he could disguise those as part of his outfit.

Now he was going to go and talk to some allies of his. He had to inform them of his new position as leader of the band. But that wasn't the only reason he was going to see them. No, now that he was recovered he would see to it that Yomi paid. He would pay with his life. So the fox left his camp, and went to hire an assassin for a former apprentice of his. There was no time to waste in doing it himself.

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Whew, I finally got that in there. I've been trying to include the assassin part for a few chapters now, but I didn't foresee the events in those chapters. Anyway, hope you liked it.

So did you like it? I do, more description than usual I think. I wrote this faster than I expected for you guys. So tell me what you think now please. I would really like to know. I'd say we are down to the last chapters, 2 or 3 after this.


	18. Last Chance

Sorry this is late, I've had a busy week. People have told me my chapters are way too short, so I'll try to make them longer. Are they really that short? Please let me know. So now without further ado, here's It's a Secret!

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It's a Secret: Chapter 18

Now that he had recovered, Youko was finally ready to get the amulet. To get back into practice though, he had gone on several small scale raids. They had all been fine, but now it was time to return to the snake lord's castle, and to come face to face with the scene of Kuro's death.

He was going on his own, a fool's mission. Incredible odds were against him, but he had to do this alone. So he bid Sho goodbye and set out from the camp. He wasted no time, though every instinct in his body screamed for him to turn around. It was early morning, the sun had only been up for a few hours when he arrived at the forest. The light from the sun shone through spaces in the bamboo. The light backing of the forest created a serene image and a deceptive peace. But Youko knew better, he wouldn't let his guard down.

It took almost no time to find the site of Kuro's death. Bracing himself, Youko stepped forward and looked around. Though he knew what to expect, he was still shocked by what he saw. Before him was his bat's body. Limp and bloody, it remained where it had been when it was first impaled. The chimera's eyes were wide with shock, but also glazed over with death. Trembling, Youko took another step towards his deceased mate.

His heart was pounding so fast it seemed that the forest around him was stirring in response. He reached up and grabbed the shaft of bamboo in Kuronue's leg. Slowly, he pulled it out, and as he did blood gushed out of the wound. Not much though, for he had already lost most of his blood since the time he was killed. In fact, there was a puddle of blood under him. Without noticing, Youko had been standing in it, it was partway up his foot. He ignored this now as his love's blood gushed out over his hands.

Tossing the shaft aside, he reached for another one higher on Kuronue's leg. Digging his feet into the ground, he swiftly pulled it out. He reached for the group of them that had surrounded his bat after the initial blow. Wrapping his arms firmly around them, he pulled hard. The flow of blood increased, staining his pure white clothing red. His arms were already covered up past his elbow with the sticky liquid.

That bunch came out slower than the other two had. He was clearly panting as he finally removed the shafts from his love's body. After several more groups of bamboo were removed, there was only one shaft remaining. He fixed his claws firmly around the final shaft in his lover's chest. Supporting the body with his shoulder, he slowly slid the final piece of bamboo out of the bat.

When he felt his lover's weight increase, he released the shaft and caught the body with both hands. He gently lowered his love to the ground. When he looked down upon his lover's face he felt a new pang of regret sweep through him. Tears filled his eyes and began to fall. The clear water fell silently from his eyes and landed upon the chimera below him, mingling with his blood.

He cried not only for his love's death, but because when he looked upon his face he realized how close he had come to making Kuro's death pointless. If he had gone through with the ceremony and taken his own life, then Kuronue would have sacrificed himself for nothing. Kuronue had given up his life for Youko, but he had disregarded that and forgotten the value of his own life. And now Kuronue's body had been sitting here like this, slowly draining of blood. He hadn't even had a proper burial or mourning yet. That was something Youko could never undo.

But that had also happened in the past, so it was time to move on. He had to look to the future, and try to bring Kuro back. For now though, he would bury the body. Using his control over plants, he had some bamboo clear out of it's home, leaving a good sized hole for a grave. Youko set his lover down on a cushion of leaves inside the grave. He had some vines cover the chimera, then piled dirt on top of those, smoothing it out to appear even with the rest of the ground.

Then he marked the grave with one single blossom, blooming and permanent. It would only fade if Youko did. Tears finally stopped falling as he at last turned away from the grave. Face set with determination, Youko headed towards the castle. He would not fail in obtaining the amulet. Even if it took his life, he would bring Kuronue back to demon world.

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He sped through the bamboo, swiftly rising upward through the forest. As he raced through the bamboo his thoughts were racing. He had hired an assassin to kill Yomi, and though the lowly creature had failed, it did manage to injure Yomi. He had been blinded. Though he was alive, with his sight damaged he would suffer. A satisfied smirk crossed Youko's face. _Yes, Yomi will suffer for the rest of his life. That traitor will pay. Maybe next time he'll think twice about trifling with the great Youko Kurama. _

He smiled as he pictured it. Yomi wandering the land, unable to protect himself. Relying on the kindness of others, he would wander the world helpless and broken for eternity. A frown came to his face. He was doing it again, the reason was unimportant, Yomi was gone now. Youko felt guilty and angry at himself for not being able to stop thinking about his former apprentice. He had barely thought about Akiko, but revenge on Yomi dominated his thoughts. _I swear it, I will stop thinking about him now._

Youko turned his attention back to his surroundings. He was nearing the castle. He was too upset to favor stealth now, he was out for blood. Snarling, he used a tall shaft of bamboo to spring straight through a wall and into the castle. Alarms could be heard instantly. Now in fox form, Youko ran down the hall as fast as he could. Whenever a guard would approach he would yip and shred it to pieces.

He had no idea where the amulet was held, but he intended to kill everyone here, he would question a few before they died. Youko took a sharp left and searched out the guards he heard coming up the hall. Their group was quickly put to death, and justice done, Youko turned to find more demons to punish. He stopped when he sensed a more powerful presence behind him. It was a snake. He considered the idea of it being the lord of the castle, but no. This reptile was too young, it was still to weak.

As if he heard Youko's thoughts, he showed off an advantage that he did have. His tail darted towards Youko from a distance. Youko leapt backwards, fangs bared unpleasantly. The blow struck the floor, leaving an acidic substance behind. The ground bubbled and smoked, the gray stone dissolved, leaving a deep hole in the ground.

_One touch of that acid and I'm done for. _Youko felt no worry, he wouldn't lose. An eerie calm settled over him. The snake hissed and darted out again with its tail. Slanted eyes turned red as Youko dodged its attacks. This was getting annoying, Youko had no time to waste. He changed out of fox form. Pulling out a seed from his wand, he sent his energy coursing through it. The small seed grew into a cactus like plant with spiny vines extended from it.

"How do you like my cactus vine?" Youko said in a calm voice as the vines lashed out at the young snake. The creature let out a high squeal as one of the vines caught him. Suddenly it seemed to lose interest in attacking and decided it had best escape. When it realized Youko wouldn't let it get away it had to find another way to deal with the fox. It let out a piercing screech that made Youko want to cover his ears very badly. But the kitsune was smarter than that, so the snake's cry didn't work. Or so he thought.

Getting sick of that annoying screech, he quickly sent a cactus vine straight through the snake's throat. That silenced it. Youko chuckled, that was one more down. He dropped the body to the ground, instructing his plant to feed to its heart's content. With that, he changed to fox form and went on his way.

He continued down the hallways, mercilessly killing all as he went. After a while he found what appeared to be the lord's chambers. He ran in and found that the room, unlike the halls, was pitch black. His sharp eyes detected a treasure chest against the back wall of the room. He set his front paws on the lid and looked into the key hole. A small jolt of energy shot into the keyhole was enough to put pressure in the right places. The lock clicked open.

There it was. The Devil's Amulet, golden with a large red ruby set in the center. He quickly snatched it up in his jaws. Then he turned towards the large stained glass window and leapt through it. He ran out into the forest so fast he felt as if he was flying. Behind him all of the plant life around the castle was now working to destroy it. All living things inside of it were being destroyed as well.

It seemed Youko was home free. But unbeknown to him, that little snake's cry had been a call to his father, the lord of the castle. The lord was no low class demon either. He was a very powerful demon, one who did not fear Youko. It arrived as the fox was leaving and immediately gave chase.

Youko kept running, his focus on running until he got back to camp. That was why he was shocked when a powerful beam of energy hit him from behind. Even more shocking was that the energy ripped at the flesh on his back. That was when he realized what had happened. Another snake had gotten him. The snake's acid was eating away at his body, there was no way he could survive it.

A burning sensation was slowly growing in force as it slowly began to consume his body. The spirit fox was literally being eaten away by the acid. Lying there in the dark, Youko felt despair once more threaten to consume him as he faced his own death. And another emotion plagued him as well, fear. It was to soon, Kuronue might not be happy to see him yet. He had just decided to give life another chance, but now this.

He cried out in agony and sorrow as the acid on his tails moved to his legs. There had to be a way to survive. But as blood poured out of him, he knew that there was no way to stop the death of his body. _But what about my soul? _It hit him just in time. The amulet! It was still clutched in his fangs. One of the spells involving the amulet, the mirror, and the statues was implanting your soul in another living thing. If he could recall the spell in time, then he had a chance.

The first step had been to create a link of your energy to the ruby in the amulet. He did so quickly, much like when he used plants, the bond seemed intimate. Then he envisioned the mirror and sent his energy through the ruby to the mirror. His energy was reflected from the mirror, though still connected to it, and went to the statues. Suddenly, Youko felt the unbearable burning fade as his soul slid out of his body. He looked down and saw his own body below him. It was half destroyed, lying in a pool of blood and anything else that had spilled from inside him. Now it was time to find a new home for his soul, before it was to late.

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Is that long enough? I realize how short some of them were now. It just seems longer when you're typing it. There will be one more chapter after this, so I hope it'll be a good one. I'm not very fond of this chapter, but I needed to write it. I'm in a pretty good mood, so sorry that the death that the whole story led up to didn't turn out as dark as I intended. Next chapter should be better though. See you all next week on It's a Secret.


	19. Truth

Here we are, the last chapter. But the end of the story? No, this story is just a prologue of what will come. Youko's past present and future will unfold. Now let us at last witness the end of his past, and the beginning of his future. Thank you everybody for your reviews, now lets begin.

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It's a Secret: Chapter 19/epilogue

My _soul wandered blindly through the fog, thoughts cloudy. I could not sense anything, it was as if life itself had given up on me. I was about ready to give up hope. Like the setting of the sun, my life seemed to be fading fast. All illusion was stripped away, my soul was exposed. I could no longer hide the truth._

_There was no light or darkness. I remember thinking that this must be the truth of the universe. There was no black or white, no good or evil, just a vaporal gray. If my body had still been with me, I would have probably been unable to keep my eyes open when faced with this truth. But as it was, I had no sight. All I could do was sense the life around me, or its dismal absence. _

_Like a wave on the shore, I felt as if I was being washed gently to a destination, only to slide back into an ocean of endless wandering. Now I understood, when a soul left its body, the past was gone. All that it could do is move forward, much like any creature. A flower never lost magnificence when facing its death. I no longer felt anything. My endless curiosity was all that I had, my thoughts were what remained._

_I wandered for what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been that long. At the time though, all sense of time and direction were gone. After I had left my body, nothing was holding me down. My identity had been stripped away, leaving only my soul. My soul. The only way I can possibly come near to describing what a soul is is the word life. That is what life is, existence. In a sense, you can never truly die, as long as your soul remains. Kuronue was alive, he just no longer resided inside a vessel. It didn't matter what happened to a body, the soul was important._

_I realized this, but without feeling, I couldn't appreciate its importance. My soul wandered endlessly. If I think back I can still feel that sleepy emptiness that I had become. In a way, I had at last found peace. But like a flower, I continued forward. I had no goal in mind, but just continued to drift. If I held still, stopped for any reason, the spell would break. If I had lost my grip on life, my chance at finding a vessel would be gone._

_All around me there was nothing. No solidity, no light, just an ethereal reality. For when all attachments fade, you have nothing tying you to the other reality. This was the truth of everything, that vacuum of a macrocosm. Nothing else existed, and I am not sure of anything does now. The philosophers that question the reality of this world are the ones who reach for this truth. In doubting existence itself, they are enabled a glimpse of truth. And there I was, fully submerged in what they seek to know even a minuscule taste of._

_But I knew none of this. My soul only knew fog. And wander was all it was willing to do for a long time. There is a real possibility that years passed in that alternate dimension. But I have no way of knowing this, for in the world of time, little actually went by. If it seemed that long, then why should I doubt that it was? In my wildest dreams, I never would have thought that reality could be that way. _

_How is it possible for one world to seem so real, but for another to be just as true. Can the two in fact exist side by side? It is a question that nobody will ever be able to answer. Is it possible for one world to be so vibrant and lively, while another is so somber? I wouldn't think so, but how else can you explain it. When one life ends, it is gone. But the soul's destruction was the only way for that to happen. _

_So when a soul is wandering, do not seek to aid it. It is a life, but of a different sort. Desire, what moves us all, doesn't exist to a soul. There is no need to be concerned for a soul that wanders. Nothing will harm it, what I witnessed hasn't changed. No light has been shed on what happened then. Every time I think back I remember wandering. That fog is truly all that there was there, nothing else can be discovered by looking back on it._

_Then the gray faded, and a world of color overtook me as I exited that reality, and reentered my own. Spread out before me was a strange place, one I had never seen before. My thoughts, my memories, they flooded back into me with such force that I feared being lost in the torrent. My awareness returned, and with it, my goal. I remembered what I had to do, why I was like this. As I looked at the panoramic world below me, I sensed the life within it. _

_I was in the Ningenkai. My soul had found a way to cross the barrier, an alternate way through. No sounds reached my ears however, all I heard was the rush of air around me. I could not sense a vessel that was open to me. All of the humans, creatures, and even the plants here resisted me. Not one of them would do. I felt time was running out, soon, my soul would be called away from this place. _

_I paid no mind to the strange things around me, there would be time enough later to examine this place. I needed to find a body, and fast. I searched, time had once more seized control. I had no idea where to go, so I did all that I knew how, I searched out the plants. There appeared to be a large concentration of them not far from where I was. I sought them and found myself looking down at what I now know is the park._

_There weren't very many humans around here. But one of them caught my attention. It was a female. It was the soul nestled deep inside her though, that caught my attention. Inside of her, a new vessel was growing, and another soul had made a home in that empty place. The vessel was still open though. Very few souls wandered, so Rekai usually placed a soul inside of new vessels. Any number of souls could enter a growing body. So here, among these inferior human creatures, I had found my salvation._

_I strung the spell through the young body, and as I did so, my soul was pulled into it. The strand was tied off as it returned to the ruby. The amulet was with me, it attached itself to souls, so it had been named the devil's amulet. Housed with my soul, though I can solidify it at any moment, is that amulet. So I had successfully cast the spell. The other soul beside me was welcoming, there was plenty of room in this warm place for the both of us. I felt a need to be close to this soul. As we resided together here, a bond was formed between us. Much like the mating bond I had had with Kuronue. I wrapped myself around it, we were together now. I felt a certain love for this being that I protected here. Much like what I felt for Kuronue. I felt that might be a problem._

_It would take about ten years for the body to gain use of my power. Then the two of us would leave together. Yes, we would return to the band in demon world. But until then, we would be a flower. We would grow here as a human child, and without dwelling on the past. We had a chance at the future now. Together, we would create another being. Merged, when air was granted to us, our journey would begin._

_My part of us felt truly happy for the first time in a long time. I had done it, my soul had found a way to survive. Kuronue would be happy as well, because I lived. If he was happy, that was what mattered. When my death arrived, then we would meet again. Now before me were infinite possibilities, the truth of what would happen was concealed once more. What my future is, it's a secret. Hidden from even me, it is the greatest secret in existence._

"and that my love, is what happened to me."

The End

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That's the end of my story. I couldn't make this any longer that it is, I really did try. The story of Youko's past has been told, and now his future will unfold. I am making a sequel to this set after the series. It will be called **Words Once Spoken, **and will probably be out in a few weeks, so be on the lookout or put me on Author Alert if you want to read it. Thank you very much for reading my story and especially for reviewing. Please leave a review with your thoughts about the story. And that's all for It's a Secret.

For those of you who don't read the little blurbs, I hope this gets your attention. **Words Once Spoken**, the sequel to this should be out in a few weeks.


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